Ballon d’Or 2025: Thierry Henry Names His Clear Winner

• Thierry Henry has named his outright pick for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, just days before Ousmane Dembele goes head-to-head with Lamine Yamal
• The 30-man shortlist shows just how competitive and unpredictable this year’s Ballon d’Or contest is
• The 2024 Ballon d’Or was surrounded by serious controversies as Real Madrid boycotted the gala ahead of Rodri’s triumph

Thierry Henry has already named his pick for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ahead of next week’s ceremony.

The 69th edition of the prestigious award will be staged on Monday, 22 September, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Widely regarded as football’s most coveted individual honour, the Ballon d’Or is presented to the standout player from the previous season.

Last year, Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed the prize, edging out Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. But with neither at the same heights this term, the door has opened for new contenders.

Among this year’s frontrunners are Ousmane Dembélé, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Kylian Mbappé and Mohamed Salah.

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Dembélé was pivotal in Paris Saint-Germain’s treble-winning campaign, lifting four trophies including the Champions League.

Yamal shone for Barcelona and played a starring role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph. Meanwhile, Mbappé and Salah delivered standout seasons for Real Madrid and Liverpool respectively.

The 30 nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or were revealed at the start of August.

Thierry Henry names 2025 Ballon d’Or winner

Following Wednesday’s Champions League action, which saw wins for both Barcelona and Manchester City, Jamie Carragher and Henry debated the Ballon d’Or race on CBS Sports.

Host Kate Scott, who will also present the Ballon d’Or ceremony, raised the topic and pushed the pundits to name their winners.

Carragher listed Dembele, Mbappe, Salah, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Achraf Hakimi as his leading contenders, describing them as “the top six players.”

Ultimately, though, the Liverpool icon backed Dembele to claim the prize after his outstanding season with PSG.

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Henry, by contrast, offered just a single name, making clear exactly who he believes deserves football’s most prestigious individual award.

The Arsenal legend narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or during his playing days, finishing second to Pavel Nedvěd in 2003 and securing third place in 2006.

This time, however, he was certain about who deserves the prize after reviewing Carragher’s top six.

Despite his ties to Barcelona, Henry believes Dembele should edge out Yamal, who is tipped for the prize, for the award. “I don’t even have to talk,” he said, firmly backing his compatriot.

Carragher echoed the sentiment, predicting the Frenchman will lift the trophy for the first time on Monday.

Why Dembele merits Ballon d’Or 2025

YEN.com.gh earlier featured three reasons Ousmane Dembele would be a worthy winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or following the shortlist announcement last Thursday.

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The former Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona winger had an excellent 2024/25 season with Paris Saint-Germain, winning four trophies.

Source: YEN.com.gh