{"id":19446,"date":"2025-08-07T16:08:45","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T20:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/golden-balloon-nominee-ousmane-dembele-joins-chloe-kelly-among-elite-players\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T16:08:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T20:08:45","slug":"golden-balloon-nominee-ousmane-dembele-joins-chloe-kelly-among-elite-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/golden-balloon-nominee-ousmane-dembele-joins-chloe-kelly-among-elite-players\/","title":{"rendered":"Golden Balloon Nominee: Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 Joins Chloe Kelly Among Elite Players"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/golden-balloon-nominee-ousmane-dembele-joins-chloe-kelly-among-elite-players\/#Kellys_Key_Role_in_Euro_Triumph\" >Kelly\u2019s Key Role in Euro Triumph<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/golden-balloon-nominee-ousmane-dembele-joins-chloe-kelly-among-elite-players\/#Highlighting_PSGs_Star_Player\" >Highlighting PSG&#8217;s Star Player<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/golden-balloon-nominee-ousmane-dembele-joins-chloe-kelly-among-elite-players\/#Understanding_the_Voting_Process\" >Understanding the Voting Process<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/golden-balloon-nominee-ousmane-dembele-joins-chloe-kelly-among-elite-players\/#Additional_Nominees\" >Additional Nominees<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-content\">\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 and British forward Chloe Kelly have been nominated for the prestigious Ballon d&#8217;Or awards for men and women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">French Football magazine announced the list of 30 male and 30 female nominees on Thursday, with the winners set to be revealed at a ceremony in Paris on September 22.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">At 28, Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 led PSG to its first Champions League title after a long wait, scoring a remarkable 35 goals for the club last season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Among the other male nominees is Barcelona&#8217;s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, whose outstanding performances contributed to the team&#8217;s Spanish League title victory.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-content mg-b-25\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kellys_Key_Role_in_Euro_Triumph\"><\/span>Kelly\u2019s Key Role in Euro Triumph<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Chloe Kelly, age 27, made headlines when her decisive penalty helped England secure the Women&#8217;s European Championship against World Cup champions Spain last month, showcasing her critical contributions throughout the knockout stage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Playing on the right flank, Kelly helped Arsenal clinch the Women&#8217;s Champions League title last season with a victory over Barcelona.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">She will face tough competition from her England teammates, defender Lucy Bronze and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, as well as Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmat\u00ed, who is a two-time winner of the award.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Bronze was the runner-up in 2019, finishing behind forward Megan Rapinoe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"full-width-image mg-t-15 mg-b-15 article-content\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0\/0\/spainengland-scaled.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1,  https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0\/0\/spainengland-scaled.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<p><span>Chloe Kelly&#8217;s nomination positions her alongside two-time winner Aitana Bonmat\u00ed. (Photo: Joan Cros &#8211; Corbis\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"article-content mg-b-25\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Highlighting_PSGs_Star_Player\"><\/span>Highlighting PSG&#8217;s Star Player<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 was among nine PSG players nominated for the men&#8217;s award, which includes goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who endured a tough match with Inter Milan in the Champions League final.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Other notable nominees include Egyptian striker Mo Salah, who scored 29 goals helping Liverpool win the Premier League, along with Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, who netted 44 times last season for Real Madrid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Midfielder Rodri won the Ballon d&#8217;Or last year but missed a significant portion of the last season due to a knee injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Real Madrid expressed discontent during the ceremony following Vin\u00edcius Jr.\u2019s second-place finish last year, taking to social media to air their grievances.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-content mg-b-25\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_the_Voting_Process\"><\/span>Understanding the Voting Process<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">The Ballon d&#8217;Or was established by French Football and has recognized male players since 1956 and female players since 2018. The voting pool includes the top 100 countries in the FIFA Men&#8217;s rankings and the top 50 for the Women&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Each selected journalist votes for a player in order, with points assigned based on their ranking, determining the eventual winner.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-content mg-b-25\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Additional_Nominees\"><\/span>Additional Nominees<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">PSG coach Luis Enrique has been nominated for Best Men&#8217;s Coach, alongside England&#8217;s Sarina Wiegman as Best Women&#8217;s Coach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\">Donnarumma&#8217;s impressive performances in the knockout rounds have positioned him as a frontrunner for the Lev Yashin award for Best Men&#8217;s Goalkeeper, while Hampton is among the female candidates for this award.<\/p>\n<p><i>Report by Associated Press.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Want to receive great stories in your inbox?<\/i> <i><u>Create or log in to your Fox Sports account<\/u><\/i> <i>to follow your favorite leagues, teams, and players for a personalized newsletter every day!<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Fan Take<\/strong>: This announcement of Ballon d&#8217;Or nominees is crucial for soccer fans as it highlights the exceptional talents rising in both men&#8217;s and women\u2019s football. The recognition of players like Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 and Kelly could elevate the sport&#8217;s profile, fostering greater appreciation and support, especially for women&#8217;s soccer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 and British forward Chloe Kelly have been nominated for the prestigious Ballon d&#8217;Or awards for men and women. French Football magazine announced the list of 30 male and 30 female nominees on Thursday, with the winners set to be revealed at a ceremony in Paris on September 22. At 28, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[1947,5403,5405,552,934,40,3613,958,3270,46,5404,1074,881,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-19446","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-among","9":"tag-balloon","10":"tag-chloe","11":"tag-dembele","12":"tag-elite","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-golden","15":"tag-joins","16":"tag-kelly","17":"tag-news","18":"tag-nominee","19":"tag-ousmane","20":"tag-players","21":"tag-soccer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}