FAST DOWNLOAD
It took until early August, but we know the players who are truly in contention for this year’s Ballon d’Or Femenin. The women’s football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games was the final chance for stars to throw their hats in the ring and several did, while others strengthened their already strong cases. Now, all there is left to do is wait for the final ranking of this year’s contenders, after France Football and new co-organisers, UEFA, announced the nominees on Wednesday, September 4.
Historically, players from the United States have struggled to really make their mark in the race for the Ballon d’Or, with the NWSL season always midway through when the window being judged closes. That was different in 2019, when the U.S. won the World Cup and Megan Rapinoe claimed the Golden Ball as a result, and it is again this year, after Emma Hayes’ side triumphed at Paris 2024.
But there is also a whole European season that will be factored in as well, in which players from Barcelona in particular shone as the Catalans won another Champions League title. The last three winners of the Golden Ball have come from Barca – and the names of Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas are on the shortlist again this time around.
So, who are the contenders for the 2024 Ballon d’Or Feminin ahead of the ceremony on Monday, October 28? GOAL takes a look at the front-runners…
-
Getty15Lea Schuller (Bayern Munich)
In 2023-24: 27 goals, five assists. Won Frauen Bundesliga and Olympic Bronze.
Players representing Germany or playing in its domestic league can often be overlooked when it comes to the Ballon d’Or, but Lea Schuller’s efforts in helping her country win an Olympic bronze medal this summer earned her a well-deserved nomination for 2024.
It isn’t just her three goals at the Games, or her strike that secured Germany’s place there, that means she is worth her place on this list, either. Schuller also had a terrific 2023-24 season with Bayern Munich, ending it as her club’s top goal-scorer as they won the Frauen Bundesliga again.
-
Getty Images14Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)
In 2023-24: 12 goals, 10 assists. Won Olympic Gold & CONCACAF W Gold Cup .
When Canada won Olympic Gold back in 2021, three of their star players secured a spot on the Ballon d’Or shortlist, and the USWNT’s triumph at Paris 2024 had a similar effect this time around. It was their ‘triple espresso’ attack that shone in France and it wasn’t a surprise, then, to see all three members of that trident nominated – starting with Trinity Rodman.
The 22-year-old scored a superb goal in the quarter-finals to allow the U.S. to beat Japan 1-0 in extra-time, continuing the brilliant form she had shown in the group stages. Strengthening her case for a place on this list was a return of five goals and four assists in 15 NWSL games, which helped the Washington Spirit sit in third place before she flew off to help the USWNT win gold.
-
-
USA TODAY Sports13Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride)
In 2023-24: 16 goals, six assists.
NWSL stars can struggle for Ballon d’Or recognition because its league does not run in tandem with the awards like the European season does. However, Barbra Banda’s goal-scoring certainly hasn’t gone under the radar in the last few months, for club or country.
Going into the Olympics, she was joint-top of the NWSL scoring charts with 12 goals in 12 games, helping the Orlando Pride to remain unbeaten through the first half of the season. Despite Zambia’s group-stage exit, she continued that form at the 2024 Games, too, finding the back of the net four times in three outings. She isn’t going to make the Ballon d’Or podium, but she deserves her spot on the longlist.
-
Getty12Tabitha Chawinga (Lyon)
In 2023-24: 27 goals, 14 assists. Won Coupe de France.
Paris Saint-Germain might have fallen short again in their bid to dethrone Lyon in the French league, but they did win just the fifth major honour in the women’s team’s history when they beat Fleury in the Coupe de France final, a triumph Tabitha Chawinga was key to. The Malawi international, who has since signed for Lyon, scored two vital goals in the narrow semi-final win over Paris FC and shone in all competitions to rack up some insane numbers across the board.
A Champions League semi-final exit hurt her chances of being near the top of the Ballon d’Or rankings, but she helped her team get over the line in the chase for silverware and was the best player in France last season.
-
-
Getty Images11Lauren James (Chelsea)
In 2023-24: 19 goals, eight assists. Won Women’s Super League.
The chances of Chelsea having a flurry of players in contention for the Ballon d’Or decreased massively after two big cup defeats in as many weeks in the spring and a Champions League semi-final exit. It meant the Blues only won the Women’s Super League last season, which is not to be sniffed at, but that it was a disappointing return shows the standards at the club.
Still, Lauren James made the shortlist again after stepping up to the plate while the Blues were hit by significant injuries, scoring big goals in big moments.
-
Getty Images10Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
In 2023-24: 15 goals, 11 assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina & Supercopa de Espana.
Alexia Putellas found regular starts hard to come by at Barcelona last season, due to injuries and also because Keira Walsh played well when she was sidelined.
However, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner made an emphatic cameo appearance in the Champions League final, scoring a world-class goal to seal victory for the Catalans, and she was Spain’s best player at the Olympics, even if it was an underwhelming tournament for La Roja.
-
-
Getty9Ada Hegerberg (Lyon)
In 2023-24: 24 goals, four assists. Won Division 1 Femenine & Trophee des Championnes.
Sadly, injury hampered Ada Hegerberg’s claim for a second Ballon d’Or, as the Lyon striker had been in fine form before having to sit out some of the most important games of the season in the spring.
She was flying before sustaining the knock in March’s Coupe de France semi-final defeat to Fleury, withdrawn with just 20 minutes on the clock. It meant she was restricted to the role of a sub in the Champions League final, too. Would the results of either game have been different if not for this problem? It’s impossible to know, but it’s hard to see how it would have hurt.
Hegerberg did help Lyon retain their league title, though, and scored an impressive 24 goals in all competitions. She might not be in the battle to be on the podium for the Golden Ball, but she deserves to be nominated.
-
Getty8Lindsey Horan (Lyon)
In 2023-24: 12 goals, eight assists. Won Olympic Gold, CONCACAF W Gold Cup, Division 1 Feminine & Trophee des Championnes.
Lindsey Horan came up with some big performances during the Gold Cup at the start of 2024 and the USWNT claimed that title courtesy of her goal in the final. She continued to be an important player for her country at the Olympics, too, wearing the armband as Hayes’ side won gold.
There were questions last season over whether or not she was used in the right position at times at Lyon – questions which haven’t been exclusive to club level, either. Still, the 29-year-old proved her effectiveness when pushed further forward to help the French giants reach another Champions League final and win the league again, earning plenty of recognition as one of the division’s best players in the end-of-season awards.
-
-
Getty Images7Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars)
In 2023-24: 13 goals, seven assists. Won Olympic Gold.
Due to a nightmare knee injury that required two surgeries, Mallory Swanson didn’t make her return from a year-long absence until March of this year, and yet she could find herself quite high up the list of Ballon d’Or nominees. That’s because she was the USWNT’s best player at Paris 2024 as it claimed a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal. In fact, she was arguably the best player of the entire tournament.
Swanson scored four goals and registered two assists in just six games, setting up Sophia Smith for her winner in the semi-final before bagging the only goal of the gold medal match. Her 10 goal involvements in 15 NWSL games before the Olympics, putting the Chicago Red Stars in the playoff places at the halfway stage of the season, was a nice base to strengthen her case, too.
-
Getty Images6Patri Guijarro (Barcelona)
In 2023-24: 10 goals, eight assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de Espana.
Guijarro is not a player who gets the recognition she deserves, with her role as a deep-lying midfielder no doubt playing its part. It’s always going to be hard to grab the headlines from that position ahead of Barca’s attacking talents.
However, she finished a respectable eighth in last year’s Ballon d’Or ranking and has deservedly landed a spot on the longlist again, after helping Barca to win an historic quadruple.
-
-
Getty Images5Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
In 2023-24: 19 goals, 11 assists. Won Olympic Gold & CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
After helping the USWNT to win the Gold Cup at the start of the year, Sophia Smith made an electric start to the NWSL season with eight goals and six assists in just 10 appearances for the Portland Thorns, and then played a key role as the U.S. won Olympic Gold.
It’s difficult at times for the 23-year-old to earn the recognition in the Ballon d’Or ranking that she deserves, as performances in the NWSL can be overlooked given its schedule is different to most top leagues. It’s good to see Smith in and amongst it again, then, after her performances at Paris 2024.
-
Getty Images4Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)
In 2023-24: 27 goals, 23 assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de Espana & Nations League.
Mariona Caldentey bid farewell to Barcelona in style this summer, starring in the Champions League final as the Catalans sealed a first-ever quadruple before signing for Arsenal.
She has kept up that form since returning to the fold with Spain, too. There was arguably no better performer in the Nations League final that La Roja triumphed in back in February and she had her moments at the Olympics, scoring a sublime winner against Japan. Could this be the year that one of the most underrated players in the game finally gets her flowers?
-
-
Getty3Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
In 2023-24: 38 goals, 13 assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de Espana & Nations League.
Last summer’s World Cup catapulted Paralluelo into the limelight, securing her a third-placed finish in the running for the Ballon d’Or, and she had an even better season with Barca this time around, finishing second in the Liga F Golden Boot race.
What could prevent the 20-year-old from getting onto the podium when it comes to this accolade, though, is that she has struggled to get involved in some of the most high-profile matches. That was the case in the Champions League final and was at times at the Olympics, too.
-
Getty2Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona)
In 2023-24: 33 goals, 26 assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina & Supercopa de Espana.
Why Graham Hansen wasn’t nominated for any previous Ballons d’Or remains one of women’s football’s biggest mysteries, but there was no way that she was going to be ignored this year.
The Norwegian was one of the best players in Europe throughout the 2023-24 season, with her numbers other-worldly. As such, her influence was huge as Barca claimed the quadruple, with Graham Hansen putting in an electric display in the Champions League final as she once again showed she is no stranger to performances on the very biggest stage.
-
-
Getty Images1Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
In 2023-24: 26 goals, 18 assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de Espana & Nations League.
When Barcelona needed someone to step up in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with Chelsea, to overturn a 1-0 deficit at Stamford Bridge, Bonmati obliged. When they needed someone to break the deadlock in the Champions League final, who came through? That woman again.
Those two performances were among the highlights in what was another superb season for last year’s Ballon d’Or winner. She may well be the most influential player in this Barca team, which is a huge compliment given how good they are.
Bonmati’s contributions for Spain might not have strengthened her case to retain this award as much as one expected, as La Roja failed to medal at the Olympics despite being the favourite for gold, but it would still be a shock if the midfielder was not, once again, named the best player of the season.
-
