Ballon d'Or: All on new rule change that impacts Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele

The Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, September 22

The prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony is all set to take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France, on Monday, September 22. Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele, being considered as the top choice for the major men’s prize in soccer, will be subject to a new rule for the ceremony this year, according to SPORTbible.

Ballon d’Or will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris today. (X/@ballondor)

Ballon d'Or 2025: What to expect?

As per the SPORTbible report, Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, is the only person who currently knows the name of the winner this year. "I'm the only one who knows the Ballon d'Or winner," he told Telefoot.

Talking about the criteria to win the honor, Garcia stated that they have taken into consideration "individual brilliance, decisive and unforgettable performances, trophies lifted, plus fair play and conduct on and off the pitch."

In the past several years, the winners of the Ballon d'Or were informed well in advance. They were even interviewed by France Football before the main ceremony. However, things are totally different this time around.

SPORTbible report highlights that even Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele remain unaware of the result this time and will have to wait until the final announcement is made at the prestigious ceremony.

But the rule is not a new one, as it was in place during the 2024 ceremony as well. At that time, the name of the winner was leaked just hours before the ceremony, resulting in major controversy. Ultimately, it saw a boycott from Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid.

For now, no credible leaks have been reported for the September 22 event.

At the ceremony, Dembele will be the only player representing Paris-Saint-Germain as the club earlier rescheduled its Ligue 1 clash with Marseille for Monday evening. Meanwhile, representatives from Real Madrid are said to have declined the invitation to Paris.

Ballon d'Or: Complete list of nominees

Here's the complete list of nominees this year

Ousmane Dembele - Paris-Saint-Germain

Gianluigi Donnarumma - Paris-Saint-Germain

Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid

Desire Doue - Paris-Saint-Germain

Denzel Dumfries - Inter Milan

Serhou Guirassy - Borussia Dortmund

Erling Haaland - Manchester City

Viktor Gyokeres - Arsenal

Achraf Hakimi - Paris Saint-Germain

Harry Kane - Bayern Munich

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Paris Saint-Germain

Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona

Alexis Mac Allister - Liverpool

Lautaro Martinez - Inter Milan

Scott McTominay - Napoli

Kylian Mbappe - Real Madrid

Nuno Mendes - Paris Saint-Germain

Joao Neves - Paris Saint-Germain

Pedri - Barcelona

Cole Palmer - Chelsea

Michael Olise - Bayern Munich

Raphinha - Barcelona

Declan Rice - Arsenal

Fabian Ruiz - Paris Saint-Germain

Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool

Vinicius Jr - Real Madrid

Mohamed Salah - Liverpool

Florian Wirtz - Liverpool

Vitinha - Paris Saint-Germain

Lamine Yamal - Barcelona

FAQs

What time will Ballon d'Or 2025 start?

It starts at 3 PM EDT/8 PM BST.

Where to watch?

Fans can see the live coverage on L’Equipe YouTube or Paramount+.

Who will win Ballon d'Or 2025?

Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele are being looked upon as the top contenders.