Spain and Barcelona have utilized a stranglehold to the Ballon d’Or Feminin over the previous 4 years.
Following Alexia Putellas’ back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2022, Aitana Bonmati received the 2023 prize and retained the trophy in 2024.
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Certainly, final 12 months, Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo accomplished an all-Blaugrana podium.
European soccer’s dominant forces haven’t had issues all their very own method in 2024/25, although. Arsenal shocked Barca within the UEFA Girls’s Champions League.
Then, with most of the identical personnel current and proper, England edged out Spain on penalties within the Euro 2025 closing to retain their European title.
Maybe unsurprisingly, these two nations dominate our rankings as we assess the highest contenders for the largest particular person prize in girls’s soccer, which might be awarded on Sept. 22 in Paris.
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Ballon d’Or Feminin rankings 2025: Potential winners, prime candidates
Listed below are our prime 10 gamers in competition for the Ballon d’Or Feminin. The award is set based mostly on performances from the 2024/25 season versus the calendar 12 months.
10) Lucy Bronze (Chelsea and England)
Bronze garnished one of many nice careers of her period by successful the English home treble with an indomitable Chelsea aspect, even scoring the WSL title-clinching aim for Sonia Bompastor’s aspect at Manchester United.
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The all-action right-back’s knack for very important targets was by no means extra evident than when she bravely dispatched a back-post header to spark England’s thrilling late comeback in opposition to Sweden within the Euro 2025 quarterfinal.
Regardless of taking part in with a closely strapped proper leg, Bronze venomously smashed dwelling her penalty amid a haphazard shootout because the Lionesses progressed.
For all that trophies and achievements are the laborious currencies that rely for a lot by way of Ballon d’Or votes, an over-arching narrative additionally helps. Bronze’s exceptional admission that she performed all the Euros with a fractured tibia actually ticks that field.
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9) Barbra Banda (Orlando Pleasure and Zambia)
NWSL illustration has been sparse on the enterprise finish of the Ballon d’Or poll since Megan Rapinoe’s 2019 win. Banda is actually worthy of consideration after her 4 targets within the playoffs fired Orlando to the title in 2024.
She began the 2025 season in high-quality fettle with eight targets in her first 14 matches. A powerful displaying from Zambia on the Africa Cup of Nations may need put her excessive, however, after scoring twice within the group stage, she was powerless to stop a 5-0 quarterfinal thrashing by the hands of eventual winners Nigeria.
Barbra Banda celebrates a aim scored for Orlando Pleasure
8) Claudia Pina (Barcelona and Spain)
Montse Tome’s choice to bench Pina for the Euros closing is one which is likely to be contemplated for years to return. The diminutive attacker has proved to be one of the thrilling gamers in Europe this time period, taking the Champions League Golden Boot with 10 targets in 9 video games.
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Pina additionally netted a match-winning brace as Barca beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 within the Copa de la Reina closing. That was 4 days after she scored each targets in Spain’s 2-1 comeback win over England within the Nations League — an unbelievable affect from the bench that she was unable to repeat with the European title on the road.
7) Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea and France)
It is tough to select particular person standouts from inside Chelsea’s imperious collective, however Baltimore’s magnificent debut season in England is worthy of appreciable plaudits.
The 25-year-old confirmed her adaptability, typically taking part in out of place at left-back, and turned in a show-stopping efficiency to down Manchester United within the FA Cup closing, bagging a brace and offering an help for Catarina Macario in a 3-0 win.
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Baltimore scored twice to safe France’s place within the Nations League Finals and likewise netted what proved to be the winner in a 2-1 opening victory over England at Euro 2025. Regardless of her personal profitable kick, Les Bleues misplaced an epic quarterfinal penalty shoot-out to Germany, harming Baltimore’s Ballon d’Or hopes.
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6) Ewa Pajor (Barcelona and Poland)
Pajor calls for consideration via sheer weight of numbers. The Poland worldwide took her prolific kind from Wolfsburg to Barcelona, netting a exceptional 52 targets on the best way to Liga F, Copa de La Reina and Spanish Tremendous Cup success.
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A serious match debut adopted together with her nation, and Pajor was sometimes on course as Poland secured a maiden Euros win, 3-2 over Denmark, of their closing group sport.
Ewa Pajor, FC Barcelona
5) Alessia Russo (Arsenal and England)
After a sluggish begin to the season, Russo discovered her toes and stepped up when it mattered for membership and nation. The WSL prime scorer was very important to Arsenal’s first Champions League success since 2007. A brace within the rousing quarterfinal comeback over Actual Madrid was a part of a seven-goal haul general.
A selfless chief of the assault, Russo solely scored twice at Euro 2025, however with out her high-quality headed equaliser in opposition to Spain within the closing, England wouldn’t be celebrating their first-ever main match win on international soil.
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4) Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal and Spain)
It might simply have been Caldentey celebrating in Basel versus her Arsenal teammates sporting white after she opened the scoring within the Euro 2025 closing.
Her swap from Barcelona to Arsenal lent a cinematic high quality to her lifting the Champions League for a fourth consecutive 12 months, whereas 16 targets and 7 assists helped the Gunners to second place within the WSL. Caldentey was topped WSL Participant of the Yr.
3) Alexia Putellas (Barcelona and Spain)
A knee damage nightmare has hindered Putellas terribly since her back-to-back Ballon d’Or triumphs, however the attacking midfielder bought again to someplace approaching her majestic greatest final season.
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She weighed in with 27 targets and 21 assists in Barcelona’s treble season and began Euro 2025 in blistering kind as Spain romped via the group stage. Her knockout performances dipped barely, though it was a shock to see Putellas hauled off with the ultimate on the road.
Alexia Putellas Spain 071625
2) Chloe Kelly (Arsenal and England)
It was inconceivable to envisage Kelly being on this dialog as her Manchester Metropolis profession circled the drain in January. However the England ahead bought the transfer she wanted to avoid wasting her season and received the Champions League with Arsenal, bringing her profession again to the place all of it started.
Maybe it is a stretch to place a participant who featured as an affect substitute so excessive up this listing, however Kelly’s contributions from the bench as England launched comeback after comeback to assert Euros glory are inconceivable to disregard. Her left-wing crosses brought on the restoration from 2-0 down in opposition to Sweden, she netted the winner in extra-time to sink Italy, after which there was that totally emphatic penalty within the shootout with Spain to seal the deal. Bravura stuff.
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1) Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona and Spain)
You can lazily dismiss this season as a drop-off from Bonmati. No Champions League and that jaw-dropping penalty failure within the Euros closing shootout. Nonetheless, it is necessary to recollect the masterful midfielder was deservedly named Participant of the Event after being hospitalised with viral meningitis beforehand.
The 27-year-old stays the very best participant on the earth, the standout for probably the most dominant membership workforce and the standout worldwide aspect. Falling simply in need of perfection this time round shouldn’t take her off the highest step of the rostrum.