The only person who knows the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or has promised to keep the result a secret “until the very end”, even if it means falling out with people.
France Football, the founders of the Ballon d’Or, made a significant change to proceedings in 2024.
In previous years, the magazine interviewed the winner prior to their name being announced on stage, but in a bid to avoid repeated leaks and preserve secrecy for as long as possible, they have stopped revealing the precious information.
In fact, only France Football’s editor-in-chief, Vincent Garcia, knows the name of the winner, and according to the man himself, he doesn’t even share it with the management of L’Equipe, the magazine’s owner.
As per Le Parisien, everyone will find out the results live, including former Barcelona and AC Milan forward Ronaldinho, who will present the trophy at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
The Ballon d’Or trophy will be handed out on September 22. Image credit: Getty
Speaking ahead of Monday’s ceremony, Garcia gave an insight into the criteria for winning the Ballon d’Or.
“I’m the only one who knows the Ballon d’Or winner,” he told Telefoot, as per Reshad Rahman. “The criteria to win this award are clear: individual brilliance, decisive and unforgettable performances, trophies lifted, plus fair play and conduct on and off the pitch.”
As mentioned above, Garcia also made a promise to himself. “The Ballon d’Or winner? I will keep the secret even if it means falling out with some people,” he said. “I will keep the secret until the very end.”
PSG forward Ousmane Dembele is the favourite to take home football’s most prestigious individual prize after a superb 2024-25 campaign, which featured 35 goals and 16 assists in all competitions.
Dembele also picked up several individual awards, including the Ligue 1 Player of the Season and top scorer, as well as the Champions League’s Player of the Season.
In the build-up to Monday’s ceremony, the Frenchman was recognised for his efforts by being awarded the Onze d’Or, presented by Onze Mondial magazine.
The 28-year-old received 32.5 per cent of the votes, finishing ahead of Lamine Yamal (30%), Kylian Mbappé (12.5%) and his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Achraf Hakimi (7%).
Speaking to the monthly magazine after his win, Dembele said: “We won almost every trophy possible, and the season that we had collectively means that the club’s players deserve to win individual awards.”
He added: “I’m proud. It proves that I worked hard throughout the season and, going even further back, throughout all of these years to win individual trophies. I’m touched by it; my sacrifices and my performances have been recognised.”