Putellas Leads Spanish Dominance on Women's Ballon d'Or Shortlist
Alexia Putellas is the favourite to win a third Women's Ballon d'Or as Spanish players and Barcelona's success continue to shape the award, with Khadija Shaw and Ewa Pajor among the challengers.
Alexia Putellas is the favourite to claim a third Women's Ballon d'Or when the award is presented on Monday, continuing a run in which Spanish players have taken the past five editions. Aitana Bonmati and Putellas have shared those honours, and Bonmati's absence from contention this time is attributed to a serious leg injury sustained on international duty in November 2025.
Putellas's case rests on a season in which she captained Barcelona to a quadruple, including a third Champions League title in four years and a seventh consecutive Liga F crown, while scoring 21 goals and providing 13 assists. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague told BBC Sport that she was the best player of the campaign and won everything, placing her alongside Marta among the best players in history.
Barcelona's dominance underpins Spain's grip on the trophy: the club has reached seven of the past eight Champions League finals, winning four, and has been domestic champion every year since 2019-20. Spain's national team, meanwhile, won the 2023 World Cup, finished as Euro 2025 runners-up to England and won the Nations League last December by beating Germany in the final. Spain have six players on the 30-strong shortlist, more than any other nation, including Claudia Pina, Cata Coll and Patri Guijarro.
The strongest alternative case may belong to Khadija Shaw, who scored 21 league goals as Manchester City won their first title in a decade and added five more in the FA Cup during a double-winning season. The Jamaica striker has been the Women's Super League's top scorer for three seasons running and has 90 goals since arriving in summer 2021. Former England international Ellen White said she would love to see Shaw recognised for her goalscoring.
Arsenal's Alessia Russo, third in last year's voting, impressed in the Champions League with nine goals but may be hindered by the Gunners' semi-final exit to Lyon. Barcelona's Ewa Pajor scored 11 goals in 10 Champions League games, including a hat-trick in the final against Lyon, and won the Women's Gerd Muller trophy.
Voting is conducted by selected international journalists, one from each of the top 50 nations in the Fifa world rankings, who rank their top 10 candidates. The award has faced criticism for being too Euro-centric and for its timing during international breaks; this year's ceremony falls in the domestic calendar, but the absence of NWSL players such as Trinity Rodman remains a point of contention.
