No Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi as Ballon d'Or nominees list announced

Dembele, Yamal, Mbappe, Palmer, and Salah among 30-member nomination list

Last updated: August 07, 2025 | 19:04

Jai Rai, Assistant Editor

2 MIN READ

Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times.

AFP

Dubai: The 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d'Or has been revealed, and notably absent are football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The iconic duo miss out once again as the spotlight shifts to a new generation of stars, including Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Kylian Mbappe, Cole Palmer, and Mohamed Salah.

Dembele and Yamal are considered among the frontrunners for the prestigious award. Interestingly, no previous Ballon d'Or winners— including the current holder, Rodri—feature on this year’s list, ensuring a new name will be added to the history books.

France Football Magazine also unveiled the nominees for several other major honors, including the Ballon d'Or Féminin, Club of the Year, the Kopa Trophy, and the Yashin Trophy.

Men's Ballon d’Or list

Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid, Ousmane Dembele - Paris Saint-Germain, Gianluigi Donnarumma - Paris Saint-Germain, Desire Doue - Paris Saint-Germain, Denzel Dumfries - Inter Milan, Serhou Guirassy - Borussia Dortmund, Erling Haaland - Manchester City, Viktor Gyokeres - Sporting Lisbon / Arsenal, Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona, Achraf Hakimi - Paris Saint-Germain, Harry Kane - Bayern Munich, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Paris Saint-Germain, Alexis Mac Allister - Liverpool, Lautaro Martinez - Inter Milan, Scott McTominay - Napoli, Kylian Mbappe - Real Madrid, Joao Neves - Paris Saint-Germain, Nuno Mendes - Paris Saint-Germain, Michael Olise - Bayern Munich, Cole Palmer - Chelsea, Pedri - Barcelona, Fabian Ruiz - Paris Saint-Germain, Declan Rice - Arsenal, Raphinha - Barcelona, Mohamed Salah - Liverpool, Vinicius Junior - Real Madrid, Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool, Vitinha - Paris Saint-Germain, Florian Wirtz - Bayer Leverkusen / Liverpool, Lamine Yamal - Barcelona.

Women’s Ballon d’Or list

Sandy Baltimore - Chelsea, Barbra Banda - Orlando Pride, Aitana Bonmati - Barcelona, Lucy Bronze - Chelsea, Klara Buhl - Bayern Munich, Mariona Caldentey - Arsenal, Sofia Cantore - Washington Spirit, Steph Catley - Arsenal, Temwa Chawinga - Kansas City Current, Melchie Dumornay - Olympique Lyon, Emily Fox - Arsenal, Cristina Girelli - Juventus, Esther Gonzalez - NY/NJ Gotham FC, Caroline Graham Hansen - Barcelona, Hannah Hampton - Chelsea, Pernille Harder - Bayern Munich, Patri Guijarro - Barcelona, Amanda Gutierres - Palmeiras, Lindsey Heaps - Olympique Lyon, Chloe Kelly - Manchester City / Arsenal, Frida Leonhardsen - Maanum Arsenal, Marta - Orlando Pride, Clara Mateo - Paris FC, Ewa Pajor - Barcelona, Claudia Pina - Barcelona, Alexia Putellas - Barcelona, Alessia Russo - Arsenal, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd - Chelsea, Caroline Weir - Real Madrid, Leah Williamson - Arsenal.

Jai RaiAssistant Editor

Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.

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