Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas have shared the last five women's Ballon d'Or awards between them. When this year's trophy is handed out on Monday night, the smart money says the pattern holds, with Putellas favourite to lift it for a third time. Whether anyone on a 30-strong shortlist can stop her is the more interesting question.
The Case For Putellas
She is a London City Lionesses forward now, but the award covers a period when she was captain of Barcelona, and that period was something. In May, Barcelona won a quadruple, including a third Champions League in four years and a seventh straight Liga F title. Putellas scored 21 goals and set up 13 across the season, and her influence as captain of an already stacked side counts for more than the numbers do. She has 38 trophies already, and won the Ballon d'Or in 2021 and 2022.
Guillem Balague didn't hedge when he spoke to BBC Sport. "Give it to her! Along with Marta, she is the best player in history. No doubt she was the best player in this campaign – and she won everything!" There is one footnote. Bonmati isn't a factor this time, mostly because of a serious leg injury she suffered on international duty in November 2025.
The Challengers
If anyone has a better case on pure output, it's Khadija Shaw. The Jamaica striker scored 21 league goals to fire Manchester City to their first title in a decade, added five in the FA Cup as City completed the double, and has been the WSL's top scorer for three seasons running. She has 90 goals since arriving in summer 2021 and signed a new four-year deal in June. Her problem, as BBC Sport sees it, is that City's five shortlisted players may all fall short because the club wasn't in last season's Champions League.
Arsenal's Alessia Russo was second to Shaw in the league scoring chart and scored nine in the Champions League, but Arsenal went out in the semi-finals to Lyon. She finished third in the voting last year. Then there is Barcelona's Ewa Pajor, 29, who scored 11 goals in 10 Champions League games, including a hat-trick in the final against Lyon, and won the Gerd Muller trophy as top scorer. She was eighth overall in the rankings.
Spain's Grip And The Gaps In The List
Spain have six players on the shortlist, more than any other nation, and eight of the Champions League final starters are in the running, among them Claudia Pina, goalkeeper Cata Coll and Patri Guijarro. The award covers 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026 and rests on individual performances, collective performances and fair play. One journalist from each nation in the top 50 of the Fifa rankings votes, ranking their top 10.
The criticisms are familiar. The ceremony has been accused of being too European, and the NWSL absentees are a fair complaint, because that league's season runs February to November and doesn't match the award window. Trinity Rodman of the Washington Spirit is a notable name missing. My pick is Putellas, and I'd be surprised by anything else.
Context: Women's Ballon d'Or ceremony, Monday 26 October 2026. 30-player shortlist. Putellas: 21 goals and 13 assists for Barcelona in 2025-26, Ballon d'Or winner in 2021 and 2022. Source: BBC Sport.
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