The stage is set for football’s most glamorous night. The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony will light up Paris on September 22, celebrating the world’s finest players for their performances from August 2024 through mid-2025.

Excitement is already in overdrive. Big names like Kylian Mbappé, fresh from his headline-grabbing switch to Real Madrid, and Erling Haaland, still smashing scoring records for fun, dominate early predictions. Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, continues to command attention with his midfield mastery. Add breakout stars from Euro 2024 and the Copa América, and the debate gets even hotter.

The women’s race promises fireworks too, after a season packed with Champions League brilliance and World Cup heroics.

Yet the biggest twist may come from Barcelona. France international Jules Koundé has boldly thrown his vote behind 18-year-old Lamine Yamal—even ahead of compatriots Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

“You put me in a delicate situation, because there is also Dembélé,” Koundé admitted to Le10Sport. “But I think Lamine Yamal deserves it. He’s a team player, works tirelessly, and understands the game perfectly.”

It’s hard to argue with the numbers: 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 matches, driving Barcelona to a glittering domestic treble—La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España.

With barely a week to go, the countdown is on. Will the golden ball land in the hands of a teenage prodigy, a record-smashing striker, or a midfield maestro? The world will be watching.