Ballon d'Or 2025 Ceremony Adds Equal Women's Awards in Paris

The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, marking a historic advancement in gender equality by awarding an equal number of trophies to both men and women for the first time. Organized jointly by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, the ceremony will introduce new women's categories including the Kopa Trophy for best young player, Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, and Gerd Müller Trophy for top scorer, mirroring the men's awards. This change addresses previous criticisms about scheduling conflicts that prevented many female nominees from attending, as the date avoids clashes with international women’s soccer matches. Alongside traditional honors like the Ballon d'Or for men and women and the Johan Cruyff Trophy for coaches, the event will also present club of the year awards and the Socrates Award for contributions to solidarity. Nominees will be announced in August, with votes cast by journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries, considering individual performance, impact, team success, and sportsmanship. The 2025 ceremony reflects growing recognition of women's football and aims to celebrate excellence across all facets of the sport on an equal platform.