Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé and England forward Chloe Kelly have been shortlisted for the prestigious Ballon d'Or awards in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
France Football magazine on Thursday unveiled the list of 30 nominees for both categories. The winners will be announced on September 22 at a ceremony in Paris.
Dembélé, 28, enjoyed a stellar season, playing a pivotal role in PSG’s historic treble-winning campaign, including their long-awaited first UEFA Champions League title. He scored a personal best of 35 goals across all competitions.
Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who dazzled in the Champions League and played a key role in the club’s La Liga triumph, is also among the male contenders.
Chloe Kelly leads women’s nominations
England’s Chloe Kelly, 27, sealed her spot among the women’s nominees after scoring the winning penalty in the European Championship final against World Cup champions Spain. She also contributed significantly in earlier knockout matches.
Kelly, who played on the right wing for Arsenal last season, helped the club clinch the Women’s Champions League title in a surprise win over Barcelona. She is joined by fellow England internationals Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton — both of whom play for Chelsea — and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí, the two-time defending winner of the women’s Ballon d'Or.
Frankfurt ropes in Japan winger Ritsu Doan ahead of Champions League campaign
Barcelona players have dominated the women’s award in recent years, winning the last four editions. Bronze previously finished second to Megan Rapinoe in 2019.
PSG dominates nominations
Dembélé is one of nine PSG players nominated this year. The list also includes goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, young forward Désiré Doué — who netted twice in PSG’s 5-0 Champions League final win over Inter Milan — and winger Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia, who arrived from Napoli in January.
Other prominent men’s nominees include Liverpool’s Mo Salah, who netted 29 league goals to lead his team to the Premier League title, and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, who scored 44 times last season.
Last year’s winner, Spanish midfielder Rodri, missed most of the season due to a knee injury.
Real Madrid, which skipped last year’s award ceremony after Vinícius Júnior finished runner-up, is expected to be closely watched this time after last year’s social media backlash.
Voting and additional nominations
The Ballon d'Or is awarded by France Football and dates back to 1956 for men and 2018 for women. Voting is carried out by one journalist from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries for the men's award, and from the top 50 ranked nations for the women’s. Points are awarded based on ranked selections, with the top points-earner winning the award.
PSG coach Luis Enrique has been nominated for best men’s coach, while England’s Sarina Wiegman features among the nominees for best women’s coach.
Donnarumma is a frontrunner for the Lev Yashin Trophy for best men’s goalkeeper. Chelsea's Hannah Hampton is among five candidates for the women’s goalkeeping award.
Source: Agency