Donnarumma Ballon d’Or placement highest for an Italian since Buffon in 2017

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Sam Wilson | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 9:11 AM ET

Manchester City and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma finished 9th place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, whilst also winning the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper.

Donnarumma’s placement in the rankings for the main award was the highest for an Italian player since Gianluigi Buffon in 2017.

Buffon finished third in the 2017 Ballon d’Or, due to his club’s league success and narrowly missing out on the Champions League when Juventus lost 4-1 in the final to Real Madrid.

Donnarumma success with PSG rewarded at Ballon d’Or ceremony

Donnarumma was an integral part of PSG’s success last season, putting in several stellar performances on the club’s route to winning the Champions League – with particularly impressive displays against the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

Donnarumma was also the last Italian player to feature in the top 10 of Ballon d’Or, finishing 10th in the 2021 edition. Now, four years later, the goalkeeper is back amongst the best ten players in the world.

The former Milan man joined Manchester City in the summer, after PSG replaced him with Lucas Chevalier due to the demands of head coach Luis Enrique.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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