Ballon d'Or

Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha should be a contender to win the Ballon d'Or after a stellar season, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez argues.

France head coach Didier Deschamps has rallied behind Ousmane Dembele and believes that the forward deserves to win this year's Ballon d'Or.

Lamine Yamal says it is always "best to speak on the pitch" after making a Ballon d'Or statement in Spain's UEFA Nations League win over France.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente says Lamine Yamal deserves to win the Ballon d'Or after the 17-year-old's impressive performance against France.

Franck Ribery seemingly expressed his bitterness at missing out in 2013 after Cristiano Ronaldo's latest comments regarding the Ballon d'Or award.

Kylian Mbappe has backed PSG star Ousmane Dembele to claim this year's Ballon d'Or after his incredible season with the Ligue 1 giants.

Lamine Yamal’s dazzling season continues to turn heads, especially Lothar Matthaus’, who knows a Ballon d’Or talent when he sees one.

Ousmane Dembele has his eyes on winning the Ballon d'Or after an incredible season with Paris Saint-Germain in 2024-25.

Legendary Barcelona defender heaped praise on both Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal and spoke his mind on who he would pick to win the Ballon d'Or.

Rayan Cherki has laid out his ambitions after joining Manchester City and has set his sights on winning the Ballon d'Or.

Kylian Mbappe's former team-mate Sergio Ramos backs the Real Madrid star to clinch the Ballon d'Or this year ahead of more favourable candidates.

Barcelona icon Hristo Stoichkov hails Lamine Yamal as the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or but says he faces competition from Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea-bound winger Estevao Willian hopes to battle for Ballon d'Or glory against Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono in the future.

Real Madrid legend Claude Makelele has picked another top contender for the Ballon d'Or over Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal.

Real Madrid legend Gareth Bale has joined in on the Ballon d'Or discussion and believes his pick for the accolade is the favourite "by some way".

Gael Clichy has made his Ballon d'Or preference clear, tipping Ousmane Dembele to win the prize after his stunning season with Paris Saint-Germain.

Steven Gerrard insists his former Liverpool and England team-mate Michael Owen was better than Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal as a teenager.

Barcelona star Pedri has paid tribute to Jude Bellingham after both midfielders received nominations for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

Jules Kounde hopes the "best man wins" the Ballon d'Or when asked to pick between France team-mate Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona co-star Lamine Yamal.

Vitinha reflected on his “dream season” at PSG and set his sights on climbing high in the Ballon d’Or race alongside Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.

Rodri has picked out four players that could succeed him as the Ballon d’Or winner in 2025, with Lamine Yamal considered to be in the mix.

Ex-Real Madrid star Jese Rodriguez says he advised Kylian Mbappe to leave Paris Saint-Germain for the Spanish side to fulfil his Ballon d'Or dream.

Vinicius Junior’s dramatic decline in the Ballon d’Or rankings has raised eyebrows, with the Real Madrid star slipping all the way down to 16th in 2025, just a year after finishing runner-up to Rodri. The Brazilian had vowed to come back stronger following last year’s controversy, but his fall from grace has coincided with Real Madrid’s ongoing rift with UEFA and the awards ceremony.

England captain and Bayern Munich superstar Harry Kane has been placed 13th on the Ballon d'Or standings, and fans are furious with the disgraceful ranking. There was also some outrage that Chelsea' Cole Palmer finished ahead of Kane despite having a forgettable 2024-25 Premier League season, which was covered up by a good Club World Cup campaign.

The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2024-25 campaign, the winner of the 2025 Golden Ball has been announced: Ousmane Dembele.

Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres has caused a stir after landing the Gerd Muller award at the prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony, where he was crowned Europe's best striker. Many have been left wondering how he could land such an illustrious title and complained online, but Gyokeres has pipped all the challengers by virtue of his goals tally for previous club Sporting Lisbon and for Sweden.

Lamine Yamal may have fallen short in the Ballon d’Or race against Ousmane Dembele, but Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists the setback will only fuel his hunger to claim the award in future. The teenager made history with back-to-back Kopa Trophies, while Aitana Bonmati continued her dominance by lifting a third consecutive Women’s Ballon d’Or.

Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal showed his lighter side after the Ballon d’Or gala by buying midnight hamburgers for team-mates and friends, while president Joan Laporta admitted he even tried pressing Ronaldinho and Andres Iniesta to reveal the winner. Yamal may have fallen short, but his Kopa Trophy joy kept spirits high as Ousmane Dembele took home the big prize instead.

Vinicius Jr’s Ballon d’Or nightmare worsened as Betis mocked the Real Madrid winger after he finished 16th in the 2025 rankings. The Brazilian had once promised to win the award “ten times if needed”, but those words were brutally echoed back at him online. Now, with Xabi Alonso limiting his role, pressure is mounting on the highly-rated attacker.