Did the Ballon d'Or witness one of its biggest-ever robberies last night?

By published

The Ballon d'Or is no stranger to controversy - and last night may have delivered another outrageous winner

Aitana Bonmati and Ousmane Dembele pose for a photo with the Women's Ballon d'Or and Men’s Ballon d’Or trophies during the 69th Ballon D'Or Ceremony at Theatre Du Chatelet on September 22, 2025 in Paris, France.
Aitana Bonmati and Ousmane Dembele pose for a photo (Image credit: Kristy Sparow - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Since 1956, the Ballon d'Or has been a prize steeped in prestige.

But it's not without its fair share of controversy, either. Over the years, plenty have taken exception to the voting of the prize – not least Real Madrid, who cancelled their delegation last year upon learning that Vinicius wasn't winning the award.

So with the 2025 full standings revealed, have France Football delivered another dud?

One Ballon d'Or winner was extremely questionable

The Ballon d'Or trophy is displayed during a press conference to present the new Ballon d'Or trophy, on the outskirts of Paris, on September 19, 2019. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)

The Ballon d'Or trophy (Image credit: Getty Images)

The voting criteria for the Ballon d'Or is murky: is Vitinha really the third-best footballer on the planet right now ahead of Mohamed Salah… or does Cole Palmer deserve to be voted eighth after so few non-penalty goals in 2025?

Social media was rife with opinions on the men's top 10, though Ousmane Dembele was considered by most to be a fair winner. But the women's vote?

(LtoR) Paris Saint-Germain's Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves, Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Ousmane Dembele and Paris Saint-Germain's French midfielder Desire Doue pose upon arrival before the 2025 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on September 22, 2025.

Ousmane Dembele picked up the award last night (Image credit: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Aitana Bonmati won her third Ballon d'Or in a row – yes, you could argue her to be the most talented women's footballer ever… but compare her season to previous campaigns.

The Spaniard lost the Women's Champions League final to Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo, whom she shared a podium with: she then lost a Euros final to Russo, who netted in the final, with Bonmati missing a penalty in the shootout.

Russo enjoyed the season of her life as FWA Women's Footballer of the Year and the WSL Golden Boot winner, winning both major trophies this term; Caldentey, meanwhile, moved leagues to arguably become the best player in England – in a much harder league – and inspire her club to European glory.

There's no doubting Bonmati's talent, but in an underwhelming season, she perhaps wasn't even Barcelona's key player or Spain's in their runs to finals.

Keira Walsh of England and Aitana Bonmati of Spain challenge during the UEFA Women's Nations League 2024/25 Grp A3 MD2 match between England and Spain at Wembley Stadium on February 26, 2025 in London, England.

Did Bonmati deserve another Ballon d'Or? (Image credit: Getty Images)

Perhaps the midfielder won the award for her talent alone – which is understandable – or her Best Player award at Euro 2025: or perhaps the fact that England played so badly on their way to Euros glory (while Arsenal weren't exactly dominant as European champions) has left Bonmati as the obvious pick.

But given that the Ballon d'Or has established itself as a prize that takes team wins into account, it felt odd for Bonmati's montage to include clips of her crying after losing finals last night… was it really the right call?

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.