The organisers of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, L’Équipe and France Football, have officially announced that the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on September 22, once again at the iconic Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
This year’s edition promises to be historic, with the introduction of a fully gender-inclusive award structure, meaning all existing trophies awarded to male footballers will now also be presented to female players. This marks a significant step towards equity in global football recognition.
According to France Football, the official list of nominees for the Ballon d’Or and related awards will be released in early August, although an exact date has not been confirmed. The awards will continue to honour outstanding individual and team performances, based on achievements over the 2024–2025 football season.
The voting system remains unchanged:
- 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries will vote for the men’s Ballon d’Or
- 50 journalists from the top 50 FIFA-ranked countries will vote for the women’s Ballon d’Or
Each journalist submits a top 10 list, with points allocated based on placement. The player with the highest total points wins the prestigious title.
In a notable shift, France Football has revised the selection criteria for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Voters will now be guided by three hierarchical factors:
- Individual performances – including consistency, influence, and game-changing abilities
- Team achievements – trophies won and contributions to collective success
- Class and fair play – player conduct and professionalism on and off the pitch
Crucially, the career achievement criterion which previously allowed a player’s overall legacy to influence their candidacy—has been removed. The focus now lies squarely on seasonal performance.
The 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or was awarded to Rodri, the Manchester City and Spain midfield powerhouse, following his instrumental role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph. Rodri edged out Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid, who was also a frontrunner after a stellar season.
Rodri’s win marked a shift in recognition from flair and attacking statistics to positional mastery, tactical intelligence, and impact in high-stakes matches.
As anticipation builds for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, football fans, players, and pundits alike will be watching closely to see which stars shine brightest in the run-up to the August nominations. With gender equity now embedded into the ceremony’s structure and refined criteria emphasizing fairness and performance, this year’s event may set a new benchmark for how individual football brilliance is celebrated.
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