BALLON D'OR
Which players have been nominated for the 2023 Women’s Ballon d’Or?
Barcelona star Alexia Putellas has won the award twice in a row but could see a World Cup-winning Spain teammate take her crown.
The nominations are in for the 2023 Women’s Ballon d’Or and we are guaranteed a first-time winner when the prize is handed out in a few weeks’ time, with Barcelona and Spain star Alexia Putellas, who has won the last two awards, USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe and six-time Champions League winner Ada Hegerberg not on the list of nominees.
Four Spanish World Cup winners nominated
Following their 2023 Women’s World Cup victory in Australia and New Zealand, which has sadly been overshadowed by the Luis Rubiales sexism scandal, four members of Spain’s roster have been nominated, including Olga Carmona, who scored the winning goal in the final against England.
Barcelona recognised for UEFA Women’s Champions League win
Two more Spaniards, Mapi León and Patri Guijarro, are part of a six-strong Barcelona contingent on the list, although they didn’t feature in the World Cup after their well-publicised falling out with the Spanish Soccer Federation and (now sacked) head coach Jorge Vida.
No club has more players nominated than the Catalans, who defeated Wolfsburg to lift the UEFA Women’s Champions League title for the second time in June. Putellas featured in both triumphs for club and country but played low-key roles in each of them having only recovered from a long-term ACL injury in April.
Linda Caicedo lands first Women’s Ballon d’Or nomination
Colombian superstar Linda Caicedo, who scored twice for her country at the World Cup, is one of three Real Madrid players on the list, alongside Carmona and Australia winger Hayley Raso.
Smith the only USWNT representative after World Cup disaster
Unusually, the USWNT has only one representative amongst the nominees - Portland Thorns attacker Sophia Smith - although that perhaps shouldn’t come as a huge surprise considering The Stars and Stripes’ disappointing performance in Australia and New Zealand.
- Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon & France)
- Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid & Colombia)
- Alba Redondo (Levante & Spain)
- Rachel Daly (Aston Villa & England)
- Fridolina Rolfö (Barcelona & Sweden)
- Olga Carmona (Real Madrid & Spain)
- Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich & England)
- Amanda Ilestedt (Arsenal & Sweden)
- Hayley Raso (Real Madrid & Australia)
- Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns & USWNT)
- Salma Paraluello (Barcelona & Spain)
- Mille Bright (Chelsea & England)
- Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United & Japan)
- Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg & Germany)
- Daphne Van Domselaar (Aston Villa & the Netherlands)
- Sam Kerr (Chelsea & Australia)
- Debinha (Kansas City Current & Brazil)
- Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona & Spain)
- Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg & Poland)
- Guro Reiten (Chelsea & Norway)
- Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona & Spain)
- Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg & Germany)
- Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City & Japan)
- Jill Roord (Manchester City & the Netherlands)
- Katie McCabe (Arsenal & Republic of Ireland)
- Wendie Renard (Lyon & France)
- Asisat Oshaola (Barcelona & Nigeria)
- Mary Earps (Manchester United & England)
- Mapi León (Barcelona & Spain)
- Khadija Shaw (Manchester City & Jamaica)
When is the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony?
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on 30 October 2023.