The annual ceremony, widely seen as the game’s most prestigious individual prizes, sees journalists from around the world cast their votes to crown the best player. It has been awarded to men since 1956, while the women's award has been going since 2018.

This year sees 30-player shortlists for the men’s and women’s best player awards, and we have nine representatives included on those, including seven from our Women’s Champions League-winning squad.

Find out everyone who has been nominated below, and who their rivals will be when the trophies are handed out in Paris on Monday, September 22:

MEN’S BALLON D’OR

Two of our squad have also made it onto the 30-player shortlist for the biggest individual accolade in the men’s game.

Declan Rice scooped our Player of the Season after recording a career-high of nine goals in 2024/25, along with 10 assists in all competitions. His second successive Ballon d’Or nod, the England midfielder was nominated for the Premier League and PFA Player of the Year awards, while his continental exploits earned him a spot in the Champions League Team of the Year.

Meanwhile, new arrival Viktor Gyokeres is also included thanks to his sensational goalscoring campaign for Sporting Lisbon last season. The Swedish hitman bagged 54 goals and laid on 13 assists to fire his side to a domestic double last term, as well as finish as top scorer in the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League.

Nominees

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Ousmane Dembele (PSG, France), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Italy), Desire Doue (PSG, France), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan, Netherlands), Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund, Guinea), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal, Sweden), Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway), Achraf Hakimi (PSG, Morocco), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG, Georgia), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona, Poland), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool, Argentina), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina), Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France), Scott McTominay (Napoli, Scotland), Nuno Mendes (PSG, Portugal), Joao Neves (PSG, Portugal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England), Pedri (Barcelona, Spain), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France), Raphinha (Barcelona, Brazil), Declan Rice (Arsenal, England), Fabian Ruiz (Barcelona, Spain), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Brazil), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool, Germany), Vitinha (PSG, Portugal), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)

WOMEN’S BALLON D’OR

Seven of the 30 spots on the shortlist for the most prestigious women’s prize of the night are Gunners. 

Mariona Caldentey registered nine goals and five assists in the top-flight to scoop the WSL Player of the Season award, as well as win our club seasonal prize. She also scored eight goals in our UEFA Women’s Champions League-winning campaign, and finished eighth in the voting in 2024.

Three of our Lionesses are also in the running; Alessia Russo ended the WSL season as joint top scorer with 12 goals, while Leah Williamson played a pivotal role in helping us claim our second Champions League success, as well as skippering England to Euro 2025 glory.

It was Chloe Kelly’s penalty that won the tournament for her nation, and she is also nominated after a superb second half of the season since she rejoined us which culminated in her clinching the biggest European prizes in the game for club and country.

Frida Maanum appeared in all 15 games on our run to European glory and her contribution also sees her included, Emily Fox also picked up an Olympic gold medal while representing the USA at the Paris Games last summer, and Steph Catley captained Australia at those games and forged a strong centre-back partnership with Williamson.

Nominees

Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea, France), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia), Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona, Spain), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England), Klara Buhl (Bayern Munich, Germany), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, Spain), Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit, Italy), Steph Catley (Arsenal, Australia), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi), Melchie Dumornay (Lyon, Haiti), Emily Fox (Arsenal, USA), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus, Italy), Esther Gonzalez (Gotham FC, Spain), Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway), Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain), Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras, Brazil), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England), Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Denmark), Lindsey Heaps (Lyon, USA), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, England), Marta (Orlando Pride, Brazil), Frida Leonhardsen Maanum (Arsenal, Norway), Clara Mateo (Paris FC, France), Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland), Claudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain), Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain), Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea, Sweden), Caroline Weir (Real Madrid, Scotland), Leah Williamson (Arsenal, England)

WOMEN’S CLUB OF THE YEAR

Our continental exploits last season saw us add a second European triumph to our honours board, and puts us in with a shot of being named the best women's team once again.

We were the first team to reach the final from round one of the current format and our campaign involved an unprecedented 15 matches that saw us beat Real Madrid and Lyon in the knockout phase before we stunned Barcelona 1-0 in the final.

Nominees

Arsenal

Barcelona

Chelsea

Lyon

Orlando Pride

WOMEN’S TEAM COACH OF THE YEAR

Having steered us to European success in her first season in the role, Renée Slegers is recognised by being included in this category. Since the Dutchwoman took over as head coach in October 2024, we went on an eight-game unbeaten run and her league win percentage stands at 78%.

Our Gunners have scored 58 league goals since her appointment - more than any other club, but her achievements in turning our European fortunes around were the most eye-catching as she became the first Dutch manager to win the Women’s Champions League.

Nominees

Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea)

Arthur Elias (Brazil)

Justine Madugu (Nigeria)

Renée Slegers (Arsenal)

Sarina Wiegman (England)

MEN’S YASHIN TROPHY

For the first time in his career, David Raya has been nominated for the award. The winner of the Premier League Golden Glove for the second consecutive season, David was in incredible form between our posts during a campaign in which he made 55 appearances, the most by a goalkeeper for us since David Seaman in 1993/94.

The Spanish shot-stopper kept 13 shutouts in the top-flight to share the award with Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels, and more came in the Champions League as he played in 13 of our 14 games en route to the semi-finals, while he also made two penalty saves in that competition.

Nominees

Alisson Becker (Liverpool, Brazil)

Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Morocco)

Lucas Chevalier (Lille)

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)

Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Italy)

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)

Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid, Slovenia)

David Raya (Arsenal, Spain)

Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest, Belgium)

Yann Sommer (Inter Milan, Switzerland)

WOMEN'S YASHIN TROPHY

Another new prize up for grabs is the Women’s Yashin Trophy, named after the legendary goalkeeper, and Daphne Van Domeselaar could get her hands on it after an impressive campaign.

In her first season at the club, the Dutch stopper was between the posts for seven of our 15 Champions League matches and was named in the Team of the Tournament. She kept 14 clean sheets in 24 appearances and finished with 10 in the WSL, despite only starting 15 league games.

Nominees

Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham, Germany)

Cata Coll (Barcelona, Spain)

Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)

Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton, Nigeria)

Daphne van Domselaar (Arsenal, Netherlands)

MEN’S KOPA TROPHY

After breaking through to our first-team last season, Myles Lewis-Skelly has been recognised with an inclusion in this category. Myles debuted for us in September 2024 aged 18 and became the youngest player to start a Champions League fixture for us since 2011 in our 3-0 win against Monaco in December. 

He featured in 19 of our 21 remaining Premier League fixtures, scored his first goal in our famous 5-1 win against Manchester City at Emirates Stadium and netted 20 minutes into his England debut against Albania in March - the first of three caps so far.

Nominees

Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain)

Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille, France)

Desire Doue (PSG, France)

Estevao (Chelsea)

Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid, Spain)

Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal, England)

Rodrigo Mora (Porto, Portugal)

Joao Neves (PSG, Portugal)

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)

Kenan Yildiz (Juventus, Turkey)

Women's Kopa Trophy

2025 will also be the first time the Kopa Trophy for the best young player will be presented to a woman, and Michelle Agyemang could be the first recipient after her heroics at Euro 2025.

The 19-year-old spent last season on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion where she scored three goals in 17 WSL appearances, helping her break into the England squad. After scoring on her debut against Belgium in April, she was selected for the tournament in Switzerland and netted crucial goals in the quarters and semis against Sweden and Italy to push her side into the final, and be named the Young Player of the Tournament.

Nominees:

Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal, England)

Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid, Colombia)

Wieke Kaptein (Chelsea, Netherlands)

Claudia Martinez Ovando (Club Olimpia, Paraguay)

Vicky Lopez (Barcelona, Spain)