With the most prestigious personal award in world football just around the corner, the nominees for the Ballon d’Or have been announced. This article will talk about the 30 women’s nominees, and who might be in the front row running for the award itself. FC Barcelona are coming off a record five consecutive wins, with Alexia Putellas winning twice in a row, and Aitana Bonmatí three-peating since 2023.
Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees:
- Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes / France)
- Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride / Zambia)
- Esmee Brugts (Barcelona / Netherlands)
- Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich / Germany)
- Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal / Spain)
- Scarlett Camberos (Club América / Mexico)
- Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City / Netherlands)
- Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current / Malawi)
- Cata Coll (Barcelona / Spain)
- Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes / Haiti)
- Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona / Norway)
- Alex Greenwood (Manchester City / England)
- Patri Guijarro (Barcelona / Spain)
- Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich / Denmark)
- Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City / Japan)
- Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC / United States)
- Mapi León (Barcelona / Spain)
- Lorena (Kansas City Current / Brazil)
- Melvine Malard (Manchester United / France)
- Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage / Japan)
- Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City / Netherlands)
- Ewa Pajor (Barcelona / Poland)
- Clàudia Pina (Barcelona / Spain)
- Alexia Putellas (Barcelona / Spain)
- Wendie Renard (OL Lyonnes / France)
- Alessia Russo (Arsenal / England)
- Khadija Shaw (Manchester City / Jamaica)
- Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich / Japan)
- Caroline Weir (Real Madrid / Scotland)
- Tessa Wullaert (Inter Milan / Belgium)
Field Analysis
Among the top four European leagues, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and OL Lyonnes won their respective leagues. The four clubs made up a whopping 19 of the 30 nominees. Manchester City has five, Barcelona has eight, and Bayern and Lyonnes have three each. All four clubs also won their country’s respective premier cup competition. Lyonnes also won the Coupe LFFP (League Cup), while Bayern and Barcelona won their respective Super Cups, and Barcelona completed their third continental treble by winning the Champions League, defeating Lyonnes in the final. Bayern, meanwhile, also reached the semifinals of the Champions League.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, Gotham FC was the 2025 champion of the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States. Gotham somehow turned an eighth-place league finish into a stellar playoff run. Kansas City Current topped the league table, and were awarded the NWSL Shield. Both clubs yielded three nominees – Rose Lavelle from Gotham, and Temwa Chawinga and Lorena from Kansas City — from the five that the NWSL provided. At the time of writing, Gotham is at the top of the NWSL table.
With the clubs’ achievements in mind, an overwhelming favorite should arguably be Alexia Putellas, who scored 20 goals and got 13 assists in all competitions during Barcelona’s treble. Putellas was also named best player in the Champions League. However, Polish striker Ewa Pajor also deserves recognition, as she finished as Barcelona’s top goalscorer of the season, as well as in the Champions League overall. Meanwhile, Man City and Jamaican forward Khadija Shaw was named Player of the Season in England, and won the Golden Boot as well.
German international Klara Bühl is the favorite from the Bundesliga, having registered the most assists in the Champions League with eight, despite having missed out on the latter part of the season through injury. However, her Bayern teammates Pernille Harder and Momoko Tanikawa should not be slept on, as they were Bayern’s top goalscorers of the season, with 28 and 13, respectively.
The winner will be announced on October 26 in London.
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