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Ballon d'Or: The complete guide to the 2025 edition

Ballon d'Or 2025

With just three days to go before the Ballon d'Or is revealed, discover what's new for the 2025 edition.

We're closing in on the big day. As every year, the Ballon d'Or is once again set to electrify the football world. Here’s everything you need to know about how the 2025 edition will work, with the ceremony scheduled for September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Criteria for winning the Ballon d'Or

The selection criteria are fairly straightforward. Three main aspects are taken into account:

1. Individual performances, especially the decisive and impressive impact of the players.

2. Team achievements, including trophies won with club and/or national team.

3. Career, fair play, and playing style. Basically, the image the player projects for the sport.

Who are the voters?

A panel of specialized journalists selects a top 10 for each award. There are 100 jurors for the men's Ballon d'Or and 50 for the women's, with one representative per country based on the FIFA rankings (top 100 for men, top 50 for women). Each spot in the top 10 earns a set number of points: 15 for first place, 12 for second, then 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point for the remaining places.

This ranking is decisive for the final outcome. The Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player, works differently: the jury is made up of former winners for the men's trophy. For the women's Ballon d'Or, former winners are also included, along with the podium finishers since 2018.

What's new for the 2025 edition?

The 2025 edition stands out for one major change: complete parity. All trophies previously awarded to men will now also be presented to women. This means three new distinctions have been added: best goalkeeper, best young player, and top scorer.