The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, organised by L’Équipe and France Football, is scheduled to take place on September 22 at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris. This year’s event will feature a significant change: all awards previously presented exclusively to men will also be awarded to women. This marks an important step toward greater equality and representation in football.

France Football has announced that the nominees for this year’s awards will be revealed in the first half of August, though the exact date is yet to be confirmed.

The voting system remains consistent with previous editions. For the men’s Ballon d’Or, 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations will cast their votes. For the women’s Ballon d’Or, 50 journalists representing the top 50 FIFA-ranked countries will participate. Each journalist submits a top ten list, with points assigned based on ranking. The player with the highest total points wins the award.

There is a notable update to the selection criteria this year. Voters will evaluate candidates based on three main factors: individual performances and decisive impact, team achievements including trophies won, and the player’s class and fair play. The former criterion considering a player’s entire career has been removed, placing full emphasis on recent performance.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was Rodri, who impressed throughout the season with both Manchester City and the Spanish national team. His key role in Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 victory and Manchester City’s continued domestic success helped him narrowly beat Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior to claim football’s most prestigious individual honour.

With these updates, the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony promises to offer a fresh and inclusive celebration of the world’s best football talents.

Would you like it shortened, made more formal, or more casual?