Predicting Winners for the 2025 Ballon D'Or Awards

Monday’s Ballon d’or Awards are among the most exciting in a long time.

Many new names are competing for the Men’s and Women’s prizes, signalling a changing of the guard across football. As ever, it’s time to predict who will write their names into that tiny little plaque they engrave on each trophy…

Women’s Coach of the Year - Sarina Wiegman

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Sarina Wiegman is the best England national team coach in history. Two European Championship wins and a World Cup final since taking over is something that will likely never be replicated again.

Her ability to adapt and impact matches is endlessly impressive, considering how little time she has to work with the squad. A generational coach.

Men’s Coach of the Year - Luis Enrique

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What happens when you take one of the most pressured clubs in Europe and lead them to an unlikely Champions League title? You win Men’s Coach of the Year, that’s what.

Nobody has been more critical to Paris Saint-Germain’s turnaround than the man sitting in the dugout. Enrique’s positivity has reflected on his players, and his tactical setup brings out the best in a team that loves to control possession before springing into attack.

Women's Club of the Year - Arsenal

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Stina Blackstenius' winner in the Champions League Final completed a dramatic season for Arsenal. They conquered Europe, beating this era's best team, as Barcelona's defence ended in disappointment.

Rewind to the beginning of the season and such a triumph seemed a world away. Jonas Eidevall resigned after a poor start and growing pressure from supporters. Renee Slegers stepped up from her assistant role to achieve the most emphatic turnaround.

It doesn't matter that Chelsea finished 12 points ahead of Arsenal in the Women's Super League. The Champions League was the one. And they got it.

Men’s Club of the Year - Paris Saint-Germain

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‘The Promised Land’ is quite the cliche in football.

PSG’s pursuit of the Champions League was more like ‘The Inevitable Land’ after Qatar Sports Investments poured millions into it. But, and it's a big but, few would have expected the Ligue 1 side to finally lift the trophy with a team of youngsters and not-so-obvious stars.

Enrique and his incredibly impressive squad achieved what Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe couldn’t. The super spending needn’t happen; energetic, technical solidarity was the answer. Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Vitinha. The whole gang is now club legends.

Women’s Yashin Award (Best Goalkeeper) - Hannah Hampton

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Mary Earps’ decision to retire from England ahead of Euro 2025 left many in shock. She is arguably the nation’s favourite footballer, a goalkeeper whose leadership has defined the Wiegman era. Understudy Hannah Hampton had no opportunity to ease in.

She responded incredibly.

Hampton’s shot-stopping skills gave a previously shaky defence confidence. Her progressive passing also opened up new avenues for a side that looked like it was losing momentum before the tournament. Two saves in the final shootout against Spain, plus a WSL title with Chelsea, should have her locked in.

Men’s Yashin Award - Gianluigi Donnarumma

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Now with Manchester City, Gianluigi Donnarumma finally delivered on the hype at PSG.

He laid on some tremendous performances en route to winning the Champions League and provided a definitive answer to the many (deserved) doubters. Enrique’s decision to quickly push him out once the season came to an end was certainly harsh. Donna is a so-called ‘confidence player’ who isn’t great with his feet, so the style change makes sense considering how the manager wants to play.

Still, if Pep Guardiola is willing to take a chance on you over Ederson, you’ve obviously had a superb year.

Women's Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player) - Michelle Agyemang

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On April 8, Michelle Agyemang entered the fray as a substitute for the Lionesses. Forty-two seconds later, she had scored a stunning goal on her senior international debut.

Spin on a few weeks to Euro 2025. The striker levelled in the 81st minute during the quarter-final against Sweden, before Wiegman's side took the win on pens. A few days later, she levelled in the 95th minute against Italy as England stood on the brink of elimination again.

England went on to win the final and defend their crown.

Agyemang has quickly etched her way into the hearts of English people. She's being given time to grow away from her parent club Arsenal, and, at 19, is working hard at Brighton. Few players match her impact this year.

Men’s Kopa Trophy - Lamine Yamal

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It feels silly even writing about Lamine Yamal at this point. Even Lionel Messi wasn’t this impactful at 18.

What more do you need?

Maybe another ridiculous, long-ranged curler into the top corner. Maybe one of those unstoppable mazy runs.

There’s very little else to say. HE’S BARELY AN ADULT AND HE”S BRILLIANT.

Women’s Ballon D’Or - Alessia Russo

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A flip of the coin could decide this award. Aitana Bonmati has been the best player in the world this year. Her ability to recover from meningitis and play such a pivotal role in Spain’s run to the Euro 2025 final once again showcased a fighter whose technical skill surpasses that of any other player.

However, Ballon d’Or voting can heavily lean towards players from winning teams. Alessia Russo pipped her to both the Euros and Champions League. Russo’s goalscoring consistency and ability to bully defenders make her an incredibly difficult player to stop.

Even when she wasn’t scoring early in England’s run to back-to-back Euro titles, her link-up play and assists piled on goals for others. A superstar whose contributions may just get her the nod.

Men’s Ballon D’Or - Ousmane Dembele

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Honestly, Ousmane Dembele is not a name many would have guessed could make a Ballon d’Or push at any time in his career.

His spell with Barcelona didn’t exactly scream ‘the best player in the world’. The PSG glow up is real, though. Dembele was the most decisive player in Europe’s best team last season. That’s usually enough to secure the Ballon d’Or. At 28 years old, he has matured into a leader of a side that possesses one of the most significant traits in football: fearlessness. A tally of 29 goals and 12 assists across 33 starts and 11 substitute appearances is testimony to the hard work the Frenchman has put in.

A word, too, for Dembele’s closest competitor. Raphinha single-handedly pulled Barcelona through games last season and deserves recognition for a tremendous campaign. Be honest: did you expect these names in the years after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominance?