Ballon d’Or 2025 live updates winners, rankings, final awards results as Ousmane Dembele wins trophy over Lamine Yamal, Salah

The 2025 edition of the Ballon d’Or was one of the most hotly contested in years.

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah and Barcelona duo Raphinha and Lamine Yamal were in the conversation, along with Ousmane Dembele and several members of the all-conquering Paris Saint-Germain team.

Rodri lifted the prize in 2024 after his exploits for Manchester City and Spain, but the midfielder is not in contention this time around, having missed the vast majority of the 2024/25 season with an ACL injury.

JUMP TO: Minute-by-minute updates as it happened | Final 2025 results, rankings, and awards

Real Madrid made headlines for boycotting last year’s ceremony after news of Rodri’s triumph leaked on the day of the ceremony. Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are nominated for Los Blancos this time around but are not expected to finish on the podium.

For the 2024/25 season, your winners were Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati, as the prizes were awarded in Paris.

MORE: All-time Ballon d’Or winners | How the winner is decided | Latest Ballon d’Or odds | All nominees

The Sporting News provided live updates throughout the day, bringing you the final results and reaction from the Theater du Chatelet during the ceremony in the French capital.

Ballon d’Or 2025 final results from trophy ceremony

STATS: 2024/25 stats for Raphinha | Mo Salah stats | Ousmane Dembele stats | Lamine Yamal stats

Live updates of Ballon d’Or trophy ceremony, commentary, video

Ousmane Dembélé is the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or… and the Parisians celebrate it! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/kDVbWgI7p3

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

4:57 p.m.: Ousmane Dembele, in his acceptance speech, is getting highly emotional. The tears are flowing, but he manages to wrap it up before welcoming his mother onto the stage to watch a highlight recap of his exceptional season. His father is also emotional as he watches from the stands.

4:45 p.m.: HERE WE GO! Out to present the men’s Ballon d’Or trophy is none other than Ronaldinho!

First is the reveal of the players ranking 10-3. The final two left are Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal! Vitinha finishes third, Mohamed Salah fourth, and Raphinha fifth (which is criminal).

Amidst chants from the Paris crowd for its hometown PSG player, the the winner is…OUSMANE DEMBELE!!! The home crowd at the room has gone ballistic!

OUSMANE YOU DID IT! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/0eiclvXuXN

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

4:35 p.m.: We have the rankings for the women’s Ballon d’Or! Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey are the two top finalists, with the others ranking 3-10.

After a teasing ad break, the winner is…AITANA BONMATI!!! She’s won the award for three straight years! The best women’s footballer of this era, no doubt! It’s fitting she takes the award from another Barcelona legend like Iniesta.

Aitana Bonmatí, three times in a row! Can you believe it? 🤯#ballondor pic.twitter.com/qT53wjKiSV

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

4:25 p.m.: Now, the moment we’ve all waited for draws near. After an oddly entertaining artistic performance on stage, the two Ballon d’Or trophies are revealed!

“As valuable as it is iconic” Kate Scott says of the world-famous trophy. You can learn how it’s made and what it consists of here.

Welcomed onto the stage as a presenter is former Barcelona midfield legend Andres Iniesta, here we go!

4:15 p.m.: The presenters are now moving to the Socrates Award, with Charlene Whitlock, the princess consort of Monaco, welcomed to present a speech. The Socrates Award is France Football’s charity recognition.

The winner is…THE XANA FOUNDATION! The foundation was created by PSG head coach Luis Enrique, who himself suffered through the sadness of the passing of their daughter, after which the foundation is named. In her memory, the foundation supports children and young people affected by oncological diseases.

The powerful words of H.S.H. Princess Charlene’s speech at the Sócrates Award.#Prixsocrates with @peaceandsport #ballondor pic.twitter.com/7mvwqDqkdP

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

4:08 p.m.: Now, after another advertising break, they have gone to the Men’s Club of the Year, and DJ Snake is still out there presenting for some reason. The local crowd in Paris is chanting, and sure enough, the winner is…PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN!

The Ligue 1 side won an absurd four trophies this past season, and reached the Club World Cup final. It’s a well-deserved award!

Chairman of the club, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, mentions in his acceptance speech that “the collective is more important than the individual” which is an interesting tone after the club won its first European shortly title after the departure of superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar.

4 p.m.: They are moving on to presenting the Women’s Club of the Year, with DJ Snake announcing the winner is…ARSENAL!

The WSL side won its first UEFA Women’s Champions League title in 18 years by upsetting Barcelona in the 2025 final!

A true team effort 🤩

Women’s Club of the Year: The Arsenal 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3ma2GFEToP

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 22, 2025

3:51 p.m.: Now they will present the Gerd Muller Trophy for the top goal scorers in Europe across the 2024/25 season, with Luis Figo to reveal the winners.

The winners are…VIKTOR GYOKERES and EWA PAJOR!

Ewa Pajor & Viktor Gyökeres are our Gerd Muller Trophy winners ⚽️🎯#trophéeGerdMuller #ballondor pic.twitter.com/exXgcJ0FHt

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

3:48 p.m.: There’s a touching moment of remembrance for a number of legends who have passed away recently, headlined by Diogo Jota.

This is more than football.

A tribute to Diogo Jota ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vVmsqJkbul

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

3:42 p.m.: They do the men’s Yashin Trophy straight after, with the winner being…GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA! That was another foregone conclusion, as he was brilliant in PSG’s outstanding season!

3:35 p.m.: Here comes the awarding of the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper in the world! To present are Gianluigi Buffon and Mary Earps, two former world-class goalkeepers themselves.

For the women, also in its first year of the award’s existence, the nominees are Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany, Gotham FC), Cata Coll (Barcelona, Spain), Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, Nigeria), Daphne van Domselaar (Netherlands, van Domselaar).

After an ad break, the winner is…HANNAH HAMPTON! She takes the trophy from Mary Earps, whose place she took at the England national team! During her speech, she has a touching mention for former Liverpool women’s coach Matt Beard who tragically passed away recently.

3:29 p.m.: Men’s nominees for the Johan Cruyff Trophy are Antonio Conte (Napoli), Luis Enrique (PSG), Hansi Flick (Barcelona), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), and Arne Slot (Liverpool).

The winner is…LUIS ENRIQUE! There was no other option, really. Arne Slot was brilliant in his first year at the helm of Liverpool, but the way Luis Enrique bulldozed much of Europe to a Champions League title was unprecedented in the modern game.

Luis Enrique is not in attendance, as PSG are currently in action right now against Marseille in Ligue 1. He sent a video to say thanks for the award.

3:25 p.m.: Now former England manager Fabio Capello is out to give out the Johan Cruyff Trophy for the best coach from the last year.

Women’s nominees are Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea), Arthur Elias (Brazil), Justine Madugu (Nigeria), Renee Slegers (Arsenal), and Sarina Wiegman (England).

The winner is…SARINA WIEGMAN! Humorously, Fabio calls her “Sabrina.” The England boss has come over from the Netherlands and been a revelation, bringing the Three Lions to the pinnacle of European football twice in a row, having won each of the last two European championships.

3:15 p.m.: They will now present the women’s Kopa Trophy, the first time they’ve ever given one out on the women’s side. The nominees are Michelle Agyemang (England, Brighton), Linda Caicedo (Colombia, Real Madrid), Wieke Kaptein (Netherlands, Chelsea), Vicky Lopez (Spain, Barcelona), and Claudia Martinez-Ovando (Paraguay, Olimpia Club).

The winner is…VICKY LOPEZ! The Spanish international plays for Barcelona, and has burst onto the scene this year.

Welcome to the Kopa Trophy winners club Vicky! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/yOjRe9nbCf

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

3:10 p.m.: First up is the presentation of the men’s Kopa Trophy, which since 2018 has honored the best young player in the world. The nominees on the men’s side are are Joao Neves (Portugal, PSG), Desire Doue (France, PSG), Kenan Yildiz (Turkey, Juventus), Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona), and Estevao (Brazil, Palmeiras).

Here to present the award is French defender Raphael Varane. The winner is…LAMINE YAMAL! This was a shoo-in, there was no contest.

Lamine was asked by the presenters if he’s ready for “The Big One” a.k.a. the Ballon d’Or. He smiles and chuckles, saying, “I don’t know.”

💬 Lamine Yamal’s speech on stage, after winning the 2025 Kopa Trophy#ballondor pic.twitter.com/bEdmofANpI

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

3 p.m.: HERE WE GO!!! The Ballon d’Or gala is about to begin! Find out how to watch in the United States here.

The ceremony opens with a performance by French musical artist Charlotte Cardin, with her song Feel Good. Out come hosts Kate Scott and Ruud Gullit.

The Eiffel Tower is shining… A bit less than one hour to go before the ceremony! ✨#ballondor pic.twitter.com/gDhtz6yHzS

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

2:45 p.m.: We’re 15 minutes from the start of the show! The host for tonight’s Ballon d’Or gala will be Kate Scott, who will be leading her third Ballon d’Or ceremony. The current host of CBS Champions League coverage in the United States was also in command of the 2013 and 2014 ceremonies.

You can read more about Kate Scott and her exploits leading one of the most celebrated studio shows in all of football by clicking here.

She’s an Icon 🤩
She’s a legend 😤
She IS the moment 👊

UCL Today & 2025 Ballon d’Or host @kate_scott everyone 👏 pic.twitter.com/fYkCJmBjQi

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 22, 2025

2:30 p.m.: There is growing speculation that Lamine Yamal could very well be in contention for the Ballon d’Or this season. Reports claim that his family has been moved up to the front row, which could potentially indicate they were meant to be in prime position to see their son win the trophy.

If that were to happen, it would make Lamine the youngest-ever Ballon d’Or winner by an enormous margin. No teenager has ever won the award, let alone an 18-year-old. The Sporting News has put together a list of the current youngest-ever Ballon d’Or winners, and detailed just how much Lamine would shatter the current record by if he were to win tonight.

Lamine! 👀#ballondor pic.twitter.com/cK1DFCgLVo

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

2 p.m.: With just an hour to go before the gala begins, all the stars are arriving in Paris!

There were questions about whether Ousmane Dembele, who is the overwhelming favorite to win the award, would be in attendance, as PSG have a Ligue 1 match today against Marseille on the road. Yet because Dembele is injured, he is able to be in attendance tonight while his team competes in league play.

A crowdy red carpet! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/tJrAwwOr36

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

1:30 p.m.: With 11-30 of the men’s rankings now complete, the players that have been left to the Top 10 are: Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, Mohamed Salah, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Cole Palmer, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Nuno Mendes.

How would you rank them? Who is the biggest snub from the Top 10?

1 p.m.: We are two hours away from the gala starting! We are close to wrapping up the bottom 20 rankings for the men, with France Football likely leaving the reveal of the top 10 for men and women until the ceremony itself.

A few star players took steps back in 2024/25. Vinicius Jr dropped 14 spots from his 2nd-place finish last year, ranking 16th, while his Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham dropped 20 places to 23rd. Erling Haaland, who finished 5th last year, drops to 27th.

It’s tough out there for No. 9’s, with Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane finishing outside the Top 10, which feels egregious.

Théâtre du Châtelet, still calm! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/VxfE9Rr8jz

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

12:30 p.m.: The Ballon d’Or rankings make for an intriguing talking point. What should matter more when it comes to voting for the Ballon d’Or, the better 2024/25 season or the better player?

A number of midfielders have been released in the bottom 10 of the men’s rankings, including Declan Rice (27), Fabian Ruiz (24), Jude Bellingham (23), Alexis Mac Allister (22), and Joao Neves (19). Meanwhile, Scott McTominay (18) ranks higher than all of them.

Who is better, and who had the better season? Where would your rank them?

12 p.m.: With the first 15 women’s players out, they’ve begun ranking the men now! Michael Olise of Bayern Munich wins “Mr. Irrelevent” as the lowest-ranked player, which feels unfair after what was a spectacular season in Bavaria.

Ranked at the 30th place for the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or!

Michael Olise@FCBayern@equipedefrance#ballondor pic.twitter.com/o1DxbR1Iza

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

11:30 a.m.: The Ballon d’Or social media account has begun the rankings for the award! They will start from the bottom and count up.

Starting with the women’s rankings, they have announced the first 15 players in the rankings! Two USWNT stars, Emily Fox (25) and Lindsey Heaps (26) finish near the bottom of the rankings.

1️⃣6️⃣ Cristiana Girelli
1️⃣7️⃣ Temwa Chawinga
1️⃣8️⃣ Melchie Dumornay
1️⃣9️⃣ Klara Bühl
2️⃣0️⃣ Pernille Harder#BallonDor pic.twitter.com/66uC25TqbZ

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025

11 a.m.: Spanish publication Marca are reporting that “people will be shocked” with the result of the Ballon d’Or today.

Usually, that stuff is mostly fluff. We saw in 2024 that nobody really knows the results of the Ballon d’Or, it doesn’t leak. But we’ll see how right Marca are!

🚨🔜 People will be ‘shocked’ about the #ballondor winner tonight, reports @marca. pic.twitter.com/VTpStGKcqr

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) September 22, 2025

10:30 a.m.: The Sporting News has compiled stats, linked down by the voting results (JUMP TO), on four of the main Ballon d’Or contenders to allow you to compare them side-by-side.

Statistically, Raphinha was the most consistent performer across the whole of the season through 2024/25. Ousmane Dembele was the best in the 2025 calendar year, while Mo Salah had the strongest league campaign.

10 a.m.: A Liverpool delegation is on its way to the Ballon d’Or ceremony, ready to support Mohamed Salah’s inclusion near the top of the list. It’s unlikely that Salah will be the recipient of the award, but he should finish amongst the top five and potentially the top three.

Arne Slot won’t be holding a live pre-match press conference before Liverpool’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Southampton on Tuesday. #LFC 🔴

— Nazira Yusuf (@Nazira_Yusuf22) September 22, 2025

9 a.m.: One unusual sub-plot is whether a Real Madrid delegation will be with us this evening. The 15-time European champions boycotted the awards en masse last year after ultimately accurate reports leaked over Rodri being the winner. Despite Kylian Mbappe enjoying an excellent maiden season at the Santiago Bernabeu, no Madrid player is truly in contention this time around. Will that make it easier for them to attend or easier to snub?

8 a.m.: There is, of course, more than just the Ballon d’Or being presented today. The best young players, goalkeepers, coaches, clubs and more will be recognised in the French capital.

Explained: All the different awards at the Ballon d’Or ceremony

7 a.m.: There’s a strange scheduling quirk for today’s ceremony: PSG are playing Marseille at the same time as the ceremony, which obviously is a bit of a problem for those who are nominated. Here’s what’s going on — and why Dembele doesn’t have to worry about missing potentially the biggest night of his professional career.

6 a.m.: Rodri was arguably a surprise winner last year, certainly in Madrid, but the field this year feels as open as it has for years. Ousmane Dembele is among the favourites, but will eight members of PSG’s treble-winning team being on the shortlist split the vote? Raphinha is Barcelona’s most statistically dominant player, but Lamine Yamal feels inarguably like their main man. Then there’s Mohamed Salah, who racked up a phenomenal amount of goals and assists as Liverpool waltzed to Premier League glory. The Reds bowed out in the last-16 of the Champions League, though, and that may count against him.

5 a.m.:  Welcome to The Sporting News’ coverage of Ballon d’Or day 2025! We’re expecting the rankings of the nominees from places 30 to 11 to be announced late afternoon European time before the ceremony in Paris gets underway in the evening. 

What time did the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony start?

The red carpet arrivals at the Theater du Chatelet in Paris start at around 8 p.m. local time, with the ceremony scheduled to start at 9 p.m. and finish by 11 p.m. All times are estimated by event organizers.

Here’s how that arrivals time translates across some of the major territories:

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