Explained: How Footballers Are Selected for the Ballon d'Or

September 23, 2025 | 02:17 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Ousmane Dembele has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France, on Tuesday, September 22, 2025.

The honor crowns his remarkable season with Les Parisiens, where he helped secure a historic treble: Ligue 1, the French Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.

At 28, Dembele becomes the sixth Frenchman to claim football’s most prestigious individual award, joining the ranks of Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema. He also follows Lionel Messi, who won the Ballon d’Or during his stint at PSG.

Dembele’s triumph was widely anticipated. Over the 2024–2025 campaign, he directly contributed to 53 goals across all competitions.

He was also named Champions League Best Player after scoring eight goals and providing six assists in Europe’s elite tournament.

He edged out Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal by just 25 points in the final tally, collecting 1,245 points compared to Yamal’s 1,220. PSG teammate Vitinha ranked third with 1,120 points, while Barcelona’s Raphinha (1,050) and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (980) rounded out the top five.

How the Ballon d'Or Winner Is Chosen

The Ballon d'Or evaluation is carried out by an international panel of journalists selected by France Football.

Currently, there are 100 journalists from the top 100 countries in FIFA's ranking participating. Each journalist selects the top five players.

These choices are then converted: six points for the first choice, four points for the second choice, three points for the third choice, two points for the fourth choice, and one point for the fifth choice. The player with the highest total points is crowned the winner.

In the event of a tie, the winner is determined based on the number of first-place votes or other tie-breaker criteria.

The journalists use a number of criteria for their assessment.

First, the individual performance in the previous season, such as goals, assists, and defensive contributions.

Second, team success, such as club and national team achievements, such as winning leagues, tournaments, or international trophies.

Third, behavior and fair play on the field, sportsmanship, and positive influence off the field.

This process is subjective and often leads to controversy, especially when players from major European leagues dominate the award.

The Greats of the Game

Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or wins (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023), followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten each lifted the trophy three times.

For two decades, the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo defined the Ballon d’Or. In recent years, Karim Benzema (2022) and Rodri (2024) emerged as new challengers. Now, with Dembele’s victory, another chapter in football’s most celebrated award has begun—one that may see fresh rivalries take center stage.

Editor’s Choice: List of Ballon d'Or Award Winners of All Time

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