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The official shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has been revealed, with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr., England’s Jude Bellingham, Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres, French stars Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé among the headline names competing for the prestigious award.
However, in a sharp contrast to previous editions, no Nigerian player made the cut for this year’s Ballon d’Or men’s and women’s best footballer nominations.
In the 2023 edition of the award, there was reason to celebrate with Victor Osimhen breaking into the top 10 and Super Falcons icon Asisat Oshoala earning yet another nod on the women’s side. Ademola Lookman also earned recognition in 2024, finishing 14th in the final shortlist.
The men’s shortlist features 30 elite talents from across Europe and beyond. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. is joined by teammates Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga, while Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Mohamed Salah continue their perennial presence in the elite club.
One of the most talked-about inclusions is Napoli and Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, who has made a strong case following a string of game-changing performances in both the Italian Serie A and international duty.
The full 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees are:
Jude Bellingham
Ousmane Dembélé
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Désiré Doué
Denzel Dumfries
Serhou Guirassy
Viktor Gyökeres
Erling Haaland
Achraf Hakimi
Harry Kane
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Robert Lewandowski
Alexis Mac Allister
Lautaro Martinez
Kylian Mbappé
Scott McTominay
Nuno Mendes
Joao Neves
Michael Olise
Cole Palmer
Pedri
Raphinha
Declan Rice
Fabian Ruiz
Mohamed Salah
Virgil van Dijk
Vinicius Jr.
Vitinha
Florian Wirtz
Lamine Yamal
On the women’s side, back-to-back Ballon d’Or Féminin winner Aitana Bonmati leads the pack once again after another dominant year for both club and country.
Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore are also among the list of nominees, underlining the Blues’ strength in the women’s game.
Arsenal’s duo Mariona Caldentey and Steph Catley, as well as Orlando Pride’s Zambian forward Barbra Banda, have also been shortlisted.
The confirmed 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees include:
Lucy Bronze (Chelsea & England)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride & Zambia)
Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona & Spain)
Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea & France)
Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal & Spain)
Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich & Germany)
Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit & Italy)
Steph Catley (Arsenal & Australia)
Melchie Dumornay (Lyon & Haiti)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current & Malawi)
The Revolution of the Ballon d’Or
First awarded in 1956, the Ballon d’Or remains the gold standard for individual brilliance in football.
While FIFA introduced its own “Best” awards following the end of its partnership with France Football in 2016, the Ballon d’Or continues to carry a weight of tradition and prestige that few accolades can match.
The voting system has evolved over the decades. Initially limited to European players, eligibility expanded in 1995 to include any player in a European league, and by 2007, it was opened to players globally.
Since 2022, voting now reflects performance across a full season rather than the calendar year.
The post Vinicius, Gyokeres, Dembele, Mbappé Lead 2025 Ballon d’Or Charge As Nigeria Misses Out On Nominations appeared first on Naija News.
