Paris Saint-Germain talisman Ousmane Dembele is tipped to beat Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and win the men’s Ballon d’Or on Monday, while Aitana Bonmati is expected to win a third consecutive women’s prize.
The world of football will convene for a lavish event at Paris’ Theatre du Chatelet to determine who will be the next winners of an award previously dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
From 2008 until 2023, the duo won the Ballon d’Or 13 times together.
Rodri, a Manchester City midfielder, won the accolade, the most prestigious individual prize in football, last year after leading Spain to victory at Euro 2024.
With Rodri out this year after an injury-plagued campaign last season, 28-year-old Dembele has emerged as the favorite from a group of nominees dominated by Champions League champions PSG.
Nine members of the PSG team who won the European title for the first time in a stunning 5-0 victory over Inter Milan are among the 30 nominees.
Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, and Vitinha join Dembele, as does goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has subsequently transferred to Manchester City.
But Dembele appears to have the upper hand after a spectacular season in which he filled the vacuum left in Paris by the departing Kylian Mbappe, scoring 35 goals.
That effort helped PSG complete a domestic clean sweep and advance to the Club World Cup final.
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The French club’s season was magnificent, but Dembele, the winger turned center-forward, had an even better one.
“It is nice after what was a wonderful season with PSG,” Dembele told Le Monde when asked what it meant to be a leading contender for the prize.
“I think it’s true that I am one of the favorites, but we will see what happens.”
Many of the PSG nominees will be unable to attend the ceremony because their Ligue 1 match against Marseille was postponed by 24 hours on Sunday owing to storms in southern France.
Meanwhile, Dembele, is injured and may not be able to attend.
Yamal, who is still only 18, stands out among the other finalists after establishing himself as a superstar on the flank at Barcelona, where he is regarded as Messi’s heir.
He won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21 at last year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, fresh from guiding Spain to European Championship success.
He scored 18 goals in 55 games in all competitions last season as Barcelona won La Liga and the Spanish Copa del Rey but was eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Inter.
“I don’t dream of winning one Ballon d’Or; I dream of winning lots,” Yamal said recently.
The Ballon d’Or is now awarded based on last season’s achievements, rather than a calendar year.
Notable nominees include Viktor Gyokeres, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk from Liverpool’s 2024-2025 Premier League triumph.
Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are also on the list, a year after Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony, outraged that the latter had been overlooked.
The top 50 for women appears to be wide open as Barcelona and Spain’s Bonmati strive for a treble.
Bonmati, 27, is a remarkable talent who was selected Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Women’s Euro in July.
However, Spain lost the tournament final on penalties to England, while Bonmati’s Barcelona lost the Champions League final against Arsenal in May.
Sport analysts argue that the absence of a clear standout from the England team that won the Euros, including Lucy Bronze, Hannah Hampton, Alessia Russo, and captain Leah Williamson, as well as Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning penalty in the final, could benefit her or Alexia Putellas.
