- Paris Saint-Germain capped an incredible season as the Ballon d’Or nominees were announced, breaking the record for most players from one club with nine.
- PSG forward Ousmane Dembele is the runaway favorite in the Ballon d’Or odds.
- Lamine Yamal leads four Barcelona players up for the award, and is behind Dembele in the odds.
Paris Saint-Germain powered through the Ballon d’Or shortlist, and their nine nominees are the most ever from a single club in one year. PSG forward Ousmane Dembele leads the way for the French champions, and he is the favorite to win.
Dembele will have to hold off Lamine Yamal, who is one of four players nominated from Barcelona, Dembele’s former club.
Dembele Leads Record-Breaking Nine Nominees from PSG
Dembele had a phenomenal season to lead PSG to four trophies this season, including Ligue 1 and the Champions League. That was enough for the French forward to lead the Ballon d’or nominees for 2025.
Joining Dembele from PSG are forwards Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and the midfield trio of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, and Joao Neves. Defenders Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes are also up for the award, along with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. PSG’s nine nominees are the most ever from a club in one year, beating Liverpool and Manchester City, who both had six nominees in 2022.
Barcelona is next with four players: forwards Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski, along with midfielder Pedri. Yamal is also up for the Kepa Trophy, which is for players 21 and under, and he won last year. He’ll go up against Doue and Neves in that category.
Other nominees for the Ballon d’Or include the Liverpool trio of Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and Virgil van Dijk, and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, and former PSG star Kylian Mbappe. Meanwhile, Manchester City’s Rodri won the award last season. In 2025, only one City player made the 30-player shortlist, and that is striker Erling Haaland. No player on this list has ever won the award before.
Can Yamal Catch Dembele in the Ballon d’Or Odds?
The Ballon d’Or odds will likely be updated soon, but Dembele is the favorite at -600. Dembele shot up the lines at soccer betting sites when PSG routed Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final. Dembele had a pair of assists in that game and was all over the place for PSG, who ended the season with four trophies. It could have been five, but PSG lost 3-0 to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final.
Yamal is next at +500, according to BetUS, and the 18-year-old is already being tipped as the next major soccer superstar. He is looking to give Barcelona their 13th Ballon d’Or win, which would break a tie with rival Real Madrid. Seven of those wins came via Lionel Messi, whose #10 jersey was given to Yamal this summer.
The odds might not reflect how close this race might be. Stay tuned to our Ballon d’Or updates, and we’ll give you our best bets for the competition!
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