One of the significant events for world football will soon take place – the 2025 Ballon d'Or award ceremony. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
The Euro-Futbol.ru website has decided to provide all the necessary information about this event. The Ballon d'Or is considered the most prestigious individual award in the world of football.
This award has been presented since 1956 by the renowned French magazine France Football. A few months before the ceremony, the organizers announce 30 nominees, and then the voting process begins.
The winner is determined based on the voting results. Traditionally, the ceremony is held at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris.
This year, the award will be presented for the 69th time and will start at 21:00 Moscow time on Monday, September 22. The event can be watched live on the Okko Sport platform.
The record holder for the Ballon d'Or is the legendary Argentine forward Lionel Messi, who has won this award eight times. Additionally, Messi holds the record for winning it four consecutive times from 2009 to 2012.
In second place is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won five Ballon d'Or awards. He cannot surpass Messi in terms of age either.
Among those who have won the award three times are Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. This year, 30 of the best footballers have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
The majority of players come from the French club Paris Saint-Germain, totaling nine footballers. This club had an excellent season and won the Champions League.
The main favorites are Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé, Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, and PSG midfielder Vitinha. Additionally, Rafinha, Achraf Hakimi, and Mohamed Salah are also highly rated.
Hakimi played a crucial role in the Champions League successes, while Salah led Liverpool to victory over Manchester City in the English Premier League. Besides the Ballon d'Or, the ceremony will also award the best young player, the Lev Yashin award for the best goalkeeper, the Johan Cruyff award for the best coach of the year, and an award for the best club.
These nominations will be presented for both men's and women's football. The ceremony will be hosted by the legendary Dutch footballer Ruud Gullit.
He won the Ballon d'Or in 1987 while playing for Milan. His co-host will be British TV presenter Kate Scott.
According to international sources, the winner will receive the trophy from Brazilian Ronaldinho, who won the Ballon d'Or once, 20 years ago.
Among interesting facts, the trophy is made of brass, coated with gold, and weighs approximately 12 kilograms. Its production cost is about 3,000 euros, but its market value can reach up to 500,000 euros.
Only one goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, has ever won the Ballon d'Or. The clubs whose players have won the most awards are Barcelona and Real Madrid, each with 12 awards.
Among Russian footballers, the highest ranking belongs to Andrey Arshavin, who took sixth place in 2008. Until 2007, the award was only given to European footballers.
Since 2022, the Ballon d'Or has been awarded based on the season's results. Time will tell who will receive the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
The main candidates for this award include Dembélé, Yamal, Vitinha, Rafinha, and Salah. You can share your other opinions in the comments.
