Ballon d'Or LIVE: Dembele leads field as Yamal and Salah challenge in Paris

PARIS — Ousmane Dembele has emerged as the frontrunner in the Ballon d'Or race as the ceremony opens in Paris, with bookmakers and live coverage placing the PSG forward as the early favorite to win the 2024/25 prize. The Theatre du Chatelet hosts the annual event, where the world’s best players gather for football’s glitziest night and the long-awaited reveal of football’s premier individual award.

Real Madrid are not expected to attend the ceremony again this year, though the club has given permission for their four nominees to be present if they wish. Florentino Perez’s leadership team are not anticipated to be in the room, with Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr among the men’s nominees and Caroline Weir among the women’s shortlist. Mbappe has said he will watch from home, while Madrid officials have largely kept a low profile ahead of the ceremony. The dynamics around the Spanish giants’ involvement add another layer of tension to a night already filled with expectations.

Dembele sits at the center of the betting market for the men’s Ballon d'Or, with odds showing him as the 2/7 favorite at the outset. Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona teenager, sits a clear second at 2/1, while other leading contenders include Raphinha at 16/1 and Mohamed Salah at 20/1. The wide-ranging list of contenders also features Vitinha, Kylian Mbappe, Gianluigi Donnarumma and others further down the board as the ceremony moves toward its conclusion. The field is wide and the outcome remains highly uncertain, even as the favorites begin to separate themselves.

The countdown to the top prize has already produced a flurry of rankings and updates from Daily Mail Sport’s live blog. At 16:03 the full list of men’s nominees was published, highlighting a pool of 30 players that includes Pedri, Harry Kane and Scott McTominay among the notable names. The live feed then began revealing early rankings, with 30th place occupied by Michael Olise, followed by Florian Wirtz in 29th and Virgil van Dijk in 28th. By 16:10 the blog reported Judo Bellingham finishing 23rd, a surprising result given his profile and last season’s near-miss for the award. Other names in the early frame included Denzel Dumfries in 25th, with Joao Neves and Lautaro Martinez also in the mix as the scoring began to take shape. The early rankings reflected a year in which some players faced tougher campaigns, even as a handful of stars maintained their status as frontrunners.

As the event built toward its big moment, Barcelona arrived in Paris with Yamal seen as their best hope for a men’s award. The teenager has been singled out by many as the latest breakout star capable of challenging established names, though the path to victory is never straightforward. Media chatter around Yamal’s potential victory has been fueled by his performances across club and country, suggesting he could become the youngest Ballon d'Or winner if his form sustains through the end of the 2024/25 season. The arrival of Barcelona in the French capital underscored the club’s belief in his ability to contend for the prize.

The roster of nominees also highlights a strong contingent of other big names and emerging talents. The men’s field includes stars such as Pedri, Kane, and McTominay, while the women’s side features five members of Sarina Wiegman’s England team who helped secure the Euros title. Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, and Hannah Hampton are all shortlisted, with Russo and Bronze viewed by some observers as potential dark horses for the women’s prize. The awards for the women’s Ballon d'Or and other categories will be announced in due course, alongside the men’s top prize.

Among the early narrative threads is the juxtaposition of Dembele’s late-season form with Yamal’s breakout status. Dembele’s rise has been credited to his performances for PSG in the Champions League run and his ability to combine creativity with consistent production, which has led him to the top of the betting markets. The Barcelona youngster has drawn attention for his potential to become a generational winner, a storyline that has fans and pundits watching closely as the voting unfolds. The event’s broader context includes the historical dominance of players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as the ongoing evolution of the Ballon d'Or into a competition between established stars and rising talents.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony is one of football’s most watched nights, and this year’s edition includes multiple prizes beyond the main men’s award. The Ballon d’Or itself, the Women’s Ballon d’Or, the Kopa Trophy for young players, and the Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers are among the categories that will be decided in Paris. The competition also highlights regional and club performances across the 2024/25 season, tying together narratives from leagues around the world.

Rounding out the field, the live blog noted other late developments: Scott McTominay’s 18th-place finish, and the 21st- and 22nd-place reveals for Serhou Guirassy and Alexis Mac Allister, respectively, before finishing with Lewandowski in the top 20. While McTominay’s climb from the Eredivisie to Napoli’s midfield storytelling has been widely celebrated, those around the ballot have explained that a single season rarely tells the whole story of a player’s impact, making the Ballon d'Or a nuanced and highly debated prize.

As the night progressed, attention remained fixed on the two heavyweights: Dembele and Yamal. Dembele’s status as the favorite was tempered by the reality that voters weigh consistency, spread across competitions, across the calendar, and across national team performances. Yamal’s case rests on a combination of raw talent and a benchmarking performance at the highest level for his age. The winner would cap a season defined by dramatic moments and memorable performances, and the ceremony’s results will shape the early chapters of both players’ careers as they continue to define their legacies in the years ahead.

With the ceremony proceeding, fans around the world watched to see not only who would lift the Ballon d'Or but also how the other prizes would honor players across different roles, including goalkeepers and coaches. The Live Blog is expected to continue delivering updates as the night unfolds, weaving together rankings, reactions, and the ever-present suspense that accompanies one of football’s most coveted honors. The event’s outcomes will be discussed for weeks, with pundits weighing the shooting stars against the consistency of established greats in a balloting process that blends sport, narrative, and national pride.

Earlier in the day, the field’s makeup and the ceremony’s approach suggested a dynamic night in which the outcomes could shift as the votes are tallied and revealed. The Ballon d'Or remains the gold standard for individual achievement in football, and this year’s edition is poised to deliver a compelling mix of youth appeal and veteran excellence. The next hours will determine whether Dembele can solidify the early advantage or whether Yamal can mount a late surge to claim one of football’s most prestigious personal honors. The ceremony’s outcome will mark a milestone in the careers of the players involved and will be reflected in conversations around the sport for the subsequent season.