Overview

• The 69th ceremony begins at 19:00 GMT at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and will be available free worldwide on L’Équipe’s YouTube, with regional TV partners carrying broadcasts.
• PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé is widely tipped to win after a 35-goal season powering a Champions League triumph and domestic clean sweep, with nine PSG players on the 30-man shortlist.
• Barcelona’s 18-year-old Lamine Yamal is viewed as the main challenger following a breakout campaign featuring a La Liga–Copa del Rey double and last year’s Kopa Trophy.
• France Football’s editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia says he alone knows the winner, while a social-media list claiming Yamal won circulated but remains unverified and contains visible errors.
• In the women’s category, Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí is broadly regarded as the leading candidate to secure a third straight Ballon d’Or.