Three French players make the cut
The 30-player shortlist for the 2026 women’s Ballon d’Or was released on Tuesday afternoon. Three French players are on it: Wendie Renard, Selma Bacha and Melvine Malard.
Renard remains the veteran of the group. At 36, the OL Lyonnes defender is still there among the 30 best players in the world, which is no small feat for someone her age and in her position. Selma Bacha, 25, also plays for the same club. Melvine Malard, 26, wears Chelsea colours.
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Barcelona and Manchester City dominate the list
Two clubs hog the spotlight. Barcelona land Ewa Pajor, Caroline Graham Hansen, Patri Guijarro, Cata Coll and Esmee Brugts. Manchester City counter with Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema, Alex Greenwood, Yui Hasegawa and Kerstin Casparij.
OL Lyonnes follow with four representatives: Renard, Bacha, Melchie Dumornay and Caroline Weir. Bayern Munich have three in the mix, with Pernille Harder, Klara Buhl and 21-year-old Momoko Tanikawa. Arsenal round out the European presence through Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo.
The NWSL and the Mexican league are not left out. Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Lorena, Rose Lavelle and Scarlett Camberos all make the list, proof that the vote is no longer confined to Europe.
An open crown
The picture is very different this year. Aitana Bonmati, the 2025 winner, is nowhere to be seen on the shortlist. The Spain midfielder missed more than five months through injury, which rules her out of the running.
That leaves the door wide open for the scorers. Ewa Pajor comes in with 34 goals this season and a decent haul of team honours. Khadija Shaw has even more in the bank, having hit 36 for Manchester City.
The big question is whether voters will reward pure output or the silverware. Those two things do not always point to the same winner.
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