Premier League leads nominations for 2025 Ballon d’Or, Kopa & Yachine Trophies
Premier League Powerhouses Lead Ballon d'Or Race
The English top flight is flexing its muscles in the race for football's most prestigious individual awards. The newly released shortlists for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy, and Yachine Trophy reveal a strong Premier League presence, with 14 nominations across all three categories – matching the count from Ligue 1.
Ballon d'Or: English Stars Shine
Arsenal duo Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice join Liverpool quartet Florian Wirtz, Alexis McAllister, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah in vying for the coveted Ballon d’Or. Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer complete the Premier League contingent in the men's race.
They face stiff competition from a stellar lineup including Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Jude Bellingham, Desire Doue, Denzel Dumfries, Serhou Guirassy, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Robert Lewandowski. Lautaro Martinez, Scott McTominay, Kylian Mbappe, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Pedri, Michael Olise, Raphinha, Fabian Ruiz, Vinicius Jr., and Lamine Yamal round out the list.
Only a select few have claimed the Ballon d'Or while playing in England: Stanley Matthews, Denis Law, Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Michael Owen, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Rodri. Could this year see another English star join that exclusive club?
Kopa Trophy: Premier League Hopes High
The Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best male player under 21, sees two Premier League hopefuls in the running: Chelsea’s new signing Estevao and Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly. They face competition from Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen, Paris Saint-Germain pair Desire Doue and Joao Neves, Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, Porto starlet Rodrigo Mora, and Lille youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Estevao or Lewis-Skelly could become the first player in the Premier League to win this prestigious award, following Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo’s third-place finish last year.
Yachine Trophy: Goalkeeper Glory
In the race for the Yachine Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper, Premier League representation shines through with Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), David Raya (Arsenal), and Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest) all vying for top honors. They face competition from Yassine Bounou, Lucas Chevalier, Thibaut Courtois, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Jan Oblak, and Yann Sommer.
Alisson was the inaugural winner of the award, while Martinez holds the record for most wins (two) and is the current holder.
Club and Coach Recognition:
Defending champions Liverpool and Chelsea, who also won the FIFA Club World Cup alongside Botafogo, Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona, are among the contenders for the Men’s Club of the Year award. Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his Chelsea counterpart Enzo Maresca join Barcelona’s Hansi Flick, Napoli’s Antonio Conte, and PSG’s Luis Enrique in vying for the Men’s Team Coach of the Year Trophy.
The winners across all categories will be announced at a glittering Gala event on September 22nd.