Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026: Ranking the Favorites to Win

Were it not for injuries and the 2026 Women’s African Nations Cup (WAFCON) being rescheduled, there’s a good chance Temwa Chawinga would have a better shot. As per usual, the 28-year-old forward is not benefiting from the awards’ use of the European calendar to determine the nomination window.

Still, she brings a record-breaking NWSL Shield win with the KC Current and averages nearly a goal or an assist every match. Taking Malawi to the WAFCON final, which qualified them for their first-ever World Cup, is said to count towards next year’s Ballon d’Or.

Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders on the planet, Yui Hasegawa put together one of the best seasons of her career as Manchester City won the English Women’s Super League and FA Cup. In April, Hasegawa also played a crucial role in Japan's win at the Women’s Asian Cup.

What will stop Hasegawa from being more in contention is her lack of UWCL soccer during the 2025-26 season, as well as her more modest statistical haul (six goals and seven assists). Of course, as a deep-lying midfielder, it’s just part of her role to start attacks lower down the pitch, be press-resistant and control the tempo. While coaches will laud a player like Hasegawa, voters may miss out on what makes her such a dynamo.

If there’s one thing you can always count on, it’s Ewa Pajor scoring goals. The Barcelona striker didn’t quite match her 2024-25 haul of 43 goals in 45 matches, but with 34 in 46 in 2025-26, she isn’t too far off her extraordinary high standard in this year’s contest.

What could help Pajor’s case this year is Barcelona going one better than in 2025 in the UWCL, defeating Lyon 4-0 in this year’s final. The 29-year-old Pole was named player of the match in that triumphant final, netting two goals and also adding an assist. However, despite her goalscoring exploits, she remains the least high-profile player in the Barcelona contingent.

Another member of the quadruple trophy-winning Barcelona team. Caroline Graham Hansen brings more skill and individual brilliance to the foray rather than just goalscoring. She has a wonderfully balanced stat line of 17 goals and 16 assists. This proves she is just as good at finishing off an attack as creating chances for her teammates.

In terms of individual profile, Graham Hansen is a more well-known figure than Pajor. She has dominated Europe for nearly a decade. That could be enough for her to pull in more votes than many others.

Often regarded as the heartbeat of both Barcelona and Spain, Patri Guijarro, like Hasegawa, will push the way in which voters categorize greatness. Will setting the tempo, scanning the pitch and keeping the ball be valued in the same way as game-defining goals? Although a foot injury did cost Guijarro 12 weeks of action, her absence may only have increased the appreciation of her game.

In addition to all her glory with Barcelona, what could give Guijarro the edge is her national team dominance with Spain, which topped their World Cup qualifying Nations League group over England. The Barcelona midfielder was on the losing side just once during the entire 2025-26 campaign (a 1-0 loss for Spain against England at Wembley). She would get revenge with a virtuoso performance in the 4-0 win for Spain in the reverse fixture.

Had Lyon not been thrashed 4-0 by Barcelona in the UWCL final, then perhaps Melchie Dumornay would have a real shot at the Ballon d’Or. The extraordinary attacking midfielder/forward hybrid was one of the most electric players last season, netting 21 goals and 12 assists in just 36 matches, including a memorable hat trick in the French league final.

Another player who will have to balance absences from key moments with sensational match-winning moments. In particular, missing the first leg of the UWCL semifinal against Arsenal, before then storming back with a defining performance in the second leg, where the London team couldn’t handle her. Playing her international soccer for Haiti, who did top the first round of their Concacaf World Cup qualifying group, will likely be missed by the voters.

If Klara Bühl played for Barcelona, perhaps she could win the Ballon d’Or. For now, it feels unlikely that the German winger can go all the way despite having the single best season of her career. Across 37 matches, the 25-year-old scored 10 goals and assisted 23, while showing off tremendous skill and crossing ability for both club and country. An ill-timed injury at the time of the UWCL quarterfinals interfered with what could have been a record-breaking individual season for assists.

Three domestic trophies with Bayern Munich probably won’t be enough to push her any further than the top five, but she is an attacking player on the rise who has plenty of admirers across Europe for her consistency, close control and vision. Should voters look beyond Barcelona, Bühl feels like an outside bet to grab attention.

Claudia Pina was the second-highest-scoring Barcelona player last season with 32 goals, trailing Pajor’s total of 34. With nine assists, Pina was just one goal contribution behind her Polish teammate (who created eight goals). When it comes to volume and slickness on the ball in the attack, Pina is right up there.

Like Bühl’s penchant for whipping in beautiful passes, what gives Pina an edge is the quality of her shooting, especially from long range. Playing for Spain will help Pina’s case, as the number-one-ranked team in the world continues to dominate the international landscape. But it feels like Pina could get more votes just for the quality of her goals rather than some other achievements. She is one of the most elite strikers in soccer in the world right now.

For the last three years, Khadija Shaw has been considered the best goalscorer in the English Women’s Super League. But what made last season so special was Shaw finally being able to add trophies to her personal accolades at Manchester City—a league and FA Cup double was secured as the 29-year-old scored 36 goals in 36 games, while also adding 10 assists.

Like her City teammate Hasegawa, a lack of UWCL soccer will likely cool some voters from putting Shaw at the top of the list. Even though she has big moments, like her brace to snatch an improbable extra-time comeback against Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals, it feels like more tried-and-tested European names will jump ahead of what many will say is the best striker on this list. Similarly, her national team exploits with Jamaica will not boost her chances with the judges all that much.

This year’s Ballon d’Or feels like Alexia Putellas’s to lose. 2025-26 was a revival year for the midfielder who previously lifted the Ballon d’Or in both 2021 and 2022. With Bonmatí injured, the former Barcelona player, who moved to London City Lionesses this past summer, was allowed to rise back into a talismanic role as her hometown club lifted four trophies and conquered Europe.

Putellas has the biggest brand and name recognition on this list, and that will help a considerable amount. So will her statistical dominance, as she led the UWCL in combined goals and assists with 14. Evolving into a captain for Spain as they continue to boss Europe will only increase her chances of being viewed as the best in the world. Last season truly was a vintage year for Putellas, where she was allowed to re-demonstrate her exceptional ability to see the field, dictate the game and conjure magic to unpick opponent’s defenses.

For Putellas to return to her best in her final season with Barcelona (for now) will also add an extra narrative piece to this Ballon d’Or. The most memorable moment was her performance in the 4-2 UWCL semifinal win over Bayern Munich, where she scored two goals. As she left the pitch, she stepped away from Camp Nou one last time as royalty in Catalonia. There is a reason she is nicknamed La Reina after all.

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