Ballon d'Or 2025 nominees: Man Utd reject Scott McTominay named as PSG stars dominate

Scott McTominay is a contender to win the men’s Ballon D’Or less than a year after getting offloaded by Manchester United for only £25m. And five Lionesses have also been nominated for the women’s award.

The Scotland midfielder is among 30 stars on the shortlist after leading Napoli to the title and winning the Serie A Player of the Year. Ousmane Dembele is the favourite to win the award on September 22.

But the France striker is one of nine Paris-Saint Germain players nominated and the votes for the Champions League winners will be split. Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is the second favourite ahead of PSG midfielder Vitinha. There will be a new winner with last season's winner Rodri not included after rupturing his ACL ligament last September.

Premier League champions Liverpool are represented by three players - Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Virgil van Dijk. England stars Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer and Declan Rice are also nominated.

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United academy graduate McTominay, 28, is the first Scot to be shortlisted since Ally McCoist back in 1987 after scoring 12 times from midfield in his first season in Italy. His former club United scored 44 goals in 38 Premier League games as they finished 15th under Ruben Amorin. The Portuguese coach was appointed in November after McTominay’s sale under the Erik ten Hag regime.

Former Scotland striker Kris Boyd told BestBettingSites.com : “I think Scott McTominay would be perfect for what Ruben Amorim wants from his players at Manchester United. He wants players with legs who can get up and down the pitch. That’s definitely what he’s got, and he’s got a good size physique as well.

“United produced him so he had that in his DNA, and Amorim must wish he had never left. He ticks the boxes of what Amorim has been signing and wants at United.”

Meanwhile, five of England’s European Championship-winning squad have been nominated for this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or.

Captain Leah Williamson is joined by Lionesses team-mates Lucy Bronze, Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo and Hannah Hampton after they clinched back-to-back European titles with victory over Spain in Basel last month.

Williamson, Kelly and Russo are also among the seven Arsenal listed while Hampton is also nominated for the Yachine Trophy, given to the best women’s goalkeeper.

Euro 2025 Young Player of the Tournament Michelle Agyemang is listed for the Women’s Kopa Trophy - awarded to the best under-21 female footballer - while Myles Lewis-Skelly is among the nominees for the men’s Kopa Trophy along with Yamal.

Reds boss Arne Slot and Chelsea's Enzo Maresca have been nominated for the men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy, along with PSG’s Luis Enrique. England boss Sarina Wiegman is nominated for the women’s coaching award along with Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor and Renee Slegers of Arsenal.

Bompastor oversaw Chelsea completing a domestic treble in her inaugural season at the helm, while Arsenal boss Slegers – who took charge of the team in October last year – lifted the Champions League trophy.

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