Ballon d'Oro: Donnarumma candidate among men, Girelli and Cantore among women
There is only one Italian, Gianluigi Donnarumma of PSG, among the 30 nominations for the Ballon d’oro 2025 to be awarded next Sept. 22 in Paris. Instead, there are three players who play for Serie A teams, namely Scott McTominay of Napoli and Denzell Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan. As many as nine candidates play for the European champion PSG: Nuno Mendes, Hakimi, Doué, Dembelé, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Kvaratskhelia and, indeed, Donnarumma.
Here are all 30 candidates: Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembelé (France, PSG), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, PSG), Desiré Doué (France, PSG), Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter Milan), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Borussia Dortmund), Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City), Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden, Sporting/Arsenal), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, PSG), Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli/PSG), Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool), Lautaro Martinez (Argentina, Inter Milan), Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli), Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid), Nuno Mendes (Portugal, PSG), Joao Neves (Portugal, PSG), Pedri (Spain, Barcelona), Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea), Michael Olise (France, Bayern Munich), Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona), Declan Rice (England, Arsenal), Fabian Ruiz (Spain, PSG), Virgil Van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool), Vinicius Jr. (Brazil, Real Madrid), Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool), Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen/Liverpool), Vitinha (Portugal, PSG), Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
There are instead two players from the Italian national team starring in the last European Championships in France Football’s list of 30 nominations for the Women’s Ballon d’oro. They are Cristiana Girelli of Juventus and Sofia Cantore, who recently left Juve to go play in America, in the Washington Spirit.
Here is the complete list of the 30 candidates: Lucy Bronze (England, Chelsea), Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride), Aitana Bonmati (Spain, Barcelona), Sandy Baltimore (France, Chelsea), Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Arsenal), Klara Buhl (Germany, Bayern Munich), Sofia Cantore (Italy, Juventus-Washington Spirit), Steph Catley (Australia, Arsenal), Melchie Dumornay (Haiti, Lyon), Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City Current), Emily Fox (USA, Arsenal), Cristiana Girelli (Italy, Juventus), Esther Gonzalez (Spain, Gotham FC), Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona), Patri Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona), Amanda Gutierres (Brazil, Palmeiras), Hanna Hampton (England, Chelsea), Pernille Harder (Denmark, Bayern Munich), Lindsey Heaps (USA, Lyon), Chloe Kelly (England, Manchester City-Arsenal), Marta (Brazil, Orlando Pride), Frida Leonhardsen Maanum (Norway, Arsenal), Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona), Clara Mateo (France, Paris FC), Alessia Russo (England, Arsenal), Claudia Pina (Spain, Barcelona), Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Sweden, Chelsea), Caroline Weir (Scotland, Real Madrid), Lea Williamson (England, Arsenal)
Donnarumma is also among France Football’s ten nominations for the Yashin Award, which goes to the best goalkeeper of the last football season. The list contains ten nominees, and in addition to the Italian national team’s goalkeeper there are Yann Sommer of Inter Milan, Alisson of Liverpool, Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa, Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid, Lucas Chevalier of Lille, Yassine Bounou of Al Hilal, Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid, David Raya of Arsenal and Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest. Five candidates for the women’s award: Ann-Katrin Berger of Gotham, Cata Coll of Barcelona, Hannah Hampton of Chelsea, Chiamaka Nnadozie of Brighton and Daphne Van Domselaar of Arsenal.
