Ballon d'Or Feminin 2026 Power Rankings: Alexia Putellas on course to end Aitana Bonmati's three-year dominance of the Women's Golden Ball

The Barcelona midfielder has won each of the last three prizes - but the 2026 accolade will go to someone else at Monday's ceremony in London after Bonmati's injury-hit campaign

Aitana Bonmati has won each of the last three Ballons d'Or Feminin - but the accolade will go to someone else in 2026. Will it be two-time winner and fellow Barcelona star Alexia Putellas who reasserts herself as the best player in the women's game? Or could there be a new name on the honour roll when the Golden Ball is handed out in London on Monday?

Unfortunately, Bonmati suffered a fractured fibula last November, one which required surgery and kept her on the sidelines until she made her return in May. She was still able to play her part as the Catalans won a quadruple, beating Lyon in the Champions League final , but not one big enough to even be nominated for a fourth Ballon d'Or.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that this was not a World Cup year in women's football, with the Africa Cup of Nations, won by Cameroon back in August , also not counting towards the voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or Feminin. As such, it is performances for club in the 2025-26 season that will largely decide the ranking for this award, with the exception of those who participated in the Asian Cup, won by Japan , back in March.

So, who are the front-runners for the 2026 award? GOAL runs through the likeliest winners of the Golden Ball ahead of the much-anticipated ceremony...

In 2025-26: 23 clean sheets. Won UEFA Nations League, Champions League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espanam & Copa de la Reina.

There are some games in which Cata Coll, as the goalkeeper in this dominant Barcelona team, doesn't have much to do. However, that just makes the instances where she is called into action all the more impressive.

This year's Champions League final was a great example of as much . The final scoreline, which read 4-0 to Barca, might suggest that the Catalans had an easy time defeating Lyon to win a fourth European crown, but that is not true. Coll had to be on her A-game in the encounter, making four impressive saves to keep her side ahead before two late Salma Paralluelo goals put the gloss on the final result.

That was one of 23 clean sheets Coll kept during an impressive 2025-26 season for Barca and Spain, in which she helped both teams enjoy fantastic success. Her contributions might sometimes be overlooked, but that Champions League final display should have served as a reminder of their importance and earn her some respect after her first-ever Ballon d'Or nomination.

In 2025-26: Seven goals, five assists. Won UEFA Nations League & FIFA Women's Champions Cup.

After finishing second in the Ballon d'Or voting last year , it's much less likely that Mariona Caldentey will clinch the Golden Ball this time around. The Spain international was certainly influential again for Arsenal, helping them win the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup , but Caldentey's attacking numbers were down on last year, both domestically and in the Champions League, due to the deeper role she was asked to play more consistently at club level.

That is likely to have an impact on her chances, as will the fact that she also struggled to make her mark in the latter stages of the Gunners' European title defence, which was ended by Lyon at the semi-final stage . Expect last year's runner-up to still get votes, though.

In 2025-26: 14 goals, five assists. Won Women's Super League & FA Cup.

An unfortunate spell of injuries mean it's been a while since Vivianne Miedema was last nominated for the Ballon d'Or, with her absent from the final list since finishing 11th in 2022. But the Dutchwoman is widely regarded as one of the best players on the planet and, last season, she reminded everyone just why she recorded back-to-back top-five finishes in the Ballon d'Or voting in the two awards that preceded 2022, by playing a key role in a campaign that delivered Manchester City's first Women's Super League title in 10 years .

Only two players scored more goals in the English top-flight last season than Miedema, who also ranked third for assists and second for combined direct goal contributions. City's lack of European football will hurt her case for matching some of the higher-ranked finishes she's had in the Ballon d'Or before, but the forward still earned herself a nomination after her first injury-free season for a while, with her goal-scoring return in the FA Cup final only enhancing her chances.

In 2025-26: 32 goals, nine assists. Won UEFA Nations League, Champions League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espana & Copa de la Reina.

Claudia Pina had a brilliant 2025-26 season. She won the Golden Boot in Liga F and was one of the most prolific forwards on the continent all season, to the benefit of both Spain, whom she helped win the Nations League, and Barca, who won the quadruple.

However, she endured a little dip in that productivity during the second half of the season, failing to take advantage of the games on the big stage that Barca had. No goals, no assists and no headline-grabbing moments in the Champions League knockout stages, nor in the the Liga F Clasico with Real Madrid, means she sits lower down this ranking - though she did score in the Copa de la Reina final.

In 2025-26: 18 goals, four assists. Won NWSL Shield & Golden Boot.

It's always difficult to know how NWSL stars will be regarded in the Ballon d'Or voting as the league's schedule does not align with the award's parameters in terms of dates and cut-off points. Last year, there were just three NWSL stars nominated, and the presence of both Marta and Esther Gonzalez was more down to their major tournament exploits at international level.

Temwa Chawinga's nomination, however, was rooted in her outstanding NWSL form. In the 2024 season, for which the final few months were relevant for the Ballon d'Or, Chawinga won the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards. In the 2025 season, she once again collected both accolades while also helping the Kansas City Current win the NWSL Shield, and she's been electric in the 2026 campaign, too. As such, the forward should be respected again in the Ballon d'Or ranking, even if her incredible exploits for Malawi on their Women's Africa Cup of Nations debut do not fall into the period considered for voting.

In 2025-26: Six goals, five assists. Won Asian Cup, Women's Super League & FA Cup.

Nominated in 2023 and 2024, Yui Hasegawa is on the longlist again in 2026 after she was the heartbeat of a Man City team which took the WSL by storm last season. Playing in a brilliant double-pivot midfield with England youngster Laura Blindkilde Brown or United States international Sam Coffey, Hasegawa was given more license to get forward, which resulted in more goal contributions that will only aid her cause.

That Hasegawa was a key player in Japan's Asian Cup triumph adds to her credentials in a big way, putting another trophy on her resumé alongside the WSL title that City claimed rather comfortably and the FA Cup triumph that came via a 4-0 win over Brighton .

In 2025-26: 10 goals, 22 assists. Won Bundesliga, DFB-Supercup & DFB-Pokal.

Players in Germany can be overlooked in the voting for this award, but Klara Buhl's incredible numbers cut through in 2025 and did so again in 2026 after another excellent season.

The flying winger matched her goals and surpassed her assists in the Bundesliga from the 2024-25 campaign, with her Champions League numbers also soaring thanks to a remarkable eight assists in her first six games. Those numbers came despite Buhl missing two months with a muscle injury, with her playing a major role in Bayern clinching another domestic treble to put herself back among the Ballon d'Or nominees.

In 2025-26: 29 goals, 10 assists. Won FIFA Women's Champions Cup.

Last year, Alessia Russo finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting. In 2025-26, on an individual basis, she had an even better season; however, it must be said that the role Russo played in England's successful European title defence and Arsenal's Champions League triumph both contributed to her lofty finish in the 2025 voting. As such, the Gunners' semi-final exit from the latter and their inability to pick up any other major trophy, bar the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup, will hamper the striker's 2026 Ballon d'Or bid.

That said, Russo's numbers last season were excellent and they helped Arsenal enjoy what was still a great Champions League run, with her scoring in both knockout ties. She will get well-deserved votes, just probably not as many as last year.

In 2025-26: 18 goals, 16 assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espana & Copa de la Reina.

There are several factors at play when it comes to the Ballon d'Or Feminin. Of course, the performances and statistics of each individual are a major one, especially on the biggest stages, as is winning silverware. But it would be naive not to note the importance of name recognition when it comes to this award, too. There have been many strange omissions over the years, though few were as glaring as Barcelona maestro Caroline Graham Hansen, who had to wait until 2024 for her first nomination.

The Norway international has, thankfully, finally broken through that glass ceiling now and is in the mix again in 2026. Only one player had more direct goal involvements in Liga F last season than Graham Hansen, who led the division for assists, and the Barca star regularly rose to the occasion too, with some fantastic performances in the Champions League knockout stages.

In 2025-26: Four goals, 10 assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espana & Copa de la Reina.

After missing over two months due to a broken bone in her foot, forcing her to watch from afar as Spain won the Nations League, Patri Guijarro came back with a bang in 2026. Her importance at Barcelona was evident as soon as she returned, with the team's level rising to a degree that her time on the sidelines has not prevented her from receiving another inclusion on the Ballon d'Or longlist.

Previously finishing as high as sixth in the voting for this award, Guijarro could get near that again in 2026 after a strong end to the season which included a fantastic performance in the Champions League final, with her assist for Ewa Pajor's second goal a stand-out moment .

In 2025-26: 34 goals, 14 assists. Won Bundesliga, DFB-Supercup & DFB-Pokal.

After ranking second in the first-ever Ballon d'Or Feminin vote back in 2018, Pernille Harder is still going incredibly strong in 2026. The Denmark international likely would have a Golden Ball on her mantlepiece had the accolade been dished out in 2020, and she remains highly thought of by voters, ranking 20th last year despite her Denmark side crashing out in the group stages of Euro 2025 without a point to their name .

That was off the back of a terrific treble-winning campaign with Bayern Munich, and the Bavarians enjoyed the same success in 2025-26, all while Harder produced numbers that eclipsed those of the previous year. Throw in the starring role she played in Bayern's Champions League quarter-final triumph over Manchester United , how impressively she performed despite the semi-final defeat to Barcelona and how she helped an understandably unfancied Denmark qualify automatically for next summer's World Cup , and Harder could be on for her best ranking in the Ballon d'Or for several years.

In 2025-26: 39 goals, nine assists. Won Women's Super League & FA Cup.

While her case for the Golden Ball will likely be limited by a lack of European football, Khadija Shaw should rack up plenty of Ballon d'Or votes later this year because of a fantastic season in front of goal that propelled Man City to a first WSL title in 10 years . Shaw netted 21 goals in 22 league games last term, eight more than anyone else in the division, and also added four assists to make her the most productive player in the WSL by some distance.

The striker than enjoyed further success in the FA Cup, both individually and with her team. A two-goal performance against Chelsea in the semi-finals fired City to Wembley, and Shaw was then outstanding in the final, scoring one and assisting another in the 4-0 win over Brighton .

In 2025-26: 22 goals, 12 assists. Won Premiere Ligue, Coupe de la Ligue & Coupe de France.

It'd be a huge surprise if Melchie Dumornay doesn't win the Ballon d'Or at some point, she is just that good. It's a point she proved time and time again with her performances for Lyon last season, as she regularly stood out as the best player on the pitch.

After scoring at a remarkable rate in the 2024-25 season, Dumornay assisted more regularly last term, but she still found the back of the net in big moments - and in spectacular fashion. That was the case when Lyon met PSG in the Coupe de la Ligue final, as her wonderful hit proved to be the only goal in the game, and she opened the scoring in the Coupe de France final too, before netting a hat-trick in the league title-decider as OL completed a domestic treble.

In the Champions League, Dumornay was also decisive to help her side reach the final. On the scoresheet in the quarter-final win over Wolfsburg and named Player of the Match as OL knocked out Arsenal in the last four, these are the sort of performances that should see her rank well.

In 2025-26: 33 goals, seven assists. Won Champions League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espana & Copa de la Reina.

Ewa Pajor's role in Barcelona's quadruple-winning 2025-26 campaign should put her right near the top of the Ballon d'Or voting, if not at the top. In 2025, the Poland international collected the Gerd Muller Trophy for her goal-scoring exploits and also ranked eighth in the voting for the main award. As a genuine contender to claim the Golden Ball, she should place even higher this term.

Pajor may not have broken the 50-goal barrier that she managed in 2024-25, but she was still extremely prolific and turned up in huge games, netting in all five of Barca's Champions League knockout matches as they saw off Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and then beat Lyon in the final. Her two goals in that showpiece event were decisive, as she won the title for the first time in her sixth final .

In 2025-26: 24 goals, 13 assists. Won UEFA Women's Nations League, Champions League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espana & Copa de la Reina.

For many, Alexia Putellas would have been a deserving winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or Feminin. The Barcelona icon arguably looked better than ever during the 2024-25 season, putting some tough years of injury behind her to produce an other-worldly level as the Catalans won a domestic treble and reached the Champions League final.

Putellas carried that form into the 2025-26 season, where the weight of expectation was on her shoulders even more at times amid injuries in midfield to Guijarro and Bonmati. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner excelled in helping younger players around her step up to fill the absences of big names, while still producing a very impressive return of goals and assists that helped both Spain and Barca win everything possible.

Given her consistently world-class level, the track record she has in the Golden Ball voting and the role she played in Barca winning a quadruple, plus early award recognition like the Champions League Player of the Season accolade, Putellas is the front-runner for the 2026 Ballon d'Or Feminin.