The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award in world football, presented annually by France Football since 1956.

It honors the best-performing male and female players from the previous season, based on votes from top football journalists across the globe.

This year introduces full parity between men’s and women’s football:

– Ballon d’Or (Best player)
– Kopa Trophy (Best U-21 player)
– Yashin Trophy (Best goalkeeper)
– Gerd Müller Trophy (Top scorer)
– Johan Cruyff Trophy (Best coach)
– Club of the Year
– Socrates Award (Humanitarian/social impact)

Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees (Selected)

• Ousmane Dembélé (PSG): 35 goals, treble winner.
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): 18 goals, La Liga + Copa del Rey.
• Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid).
• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid).
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
• Erling Haaland (Man City).
•  Harry Kane.
• Vinícius Júnior.
• Florian Wirtz.
• Declan Rice.
• Pedri.
• Lewandowski

• Women’s Ballon d’Or Nominees (Selected)
  Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona): Going for third straight win.
• Alexia Putellas (Barcelona).
• Lucy Bronze (Chelsea).
• Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride).
• Sandy Baltimore.
• Klara Bühl.
• Steph Catley.
• Temwa Chawinga

The 2025 Ballon d’Or Awards take place on September 22, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Here’s how to tune in from Kenya and beyond.

Start Time

– Red carpet coverage begins at 9:00 PM EAT
– Main ceremony starts at 10:00 PM EAT

TV Channels

– Kenya & Sub-Saharan Africa: Max2, New World Sport 1 (French-language feed)
– India: Sony Sports Ten 1
– USA: CBS, Paramount+
– UK: TNT Sports, Discovery+
– France: L’Équipe TV

Online Streaming Options

– SonyLIV (India)
– Paramount+ (USA)
– Discovery+ (UK)
– L’Équipe YouTube channel (global access)

Notable Highlights

– PSG leads men’s nominations with 9 players
– Barcelona dominates women’s list
– Ronaldinho will present the men’s award
– Voting by national coaches, captains, and journalists from top FIFA-ranked countries.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino. PHOTO/FIFA X.