Putellas Claims Third Ballon D’or as Shortlist Draws Criticism
WHO:
The Guardian - Alexia Putellas, a 32-year-old midfielder, won the women’s Ballon d’Or for a record-equalling third time.
The Guardian - Putellas spent 14 years at Barcelona and now plays for London City Lionesses.
The Guardian - Aitana Bonmatí and Putellas have shared the award’s six consecutive winning years.
The Guardian - Barcelona’s Cata Coll won the goalkeeper prize, Pere Romeu won the coach award, and Vicky López won the young player award. Ewa Pajor finished second behind Putellas; Clara Serrajordi finished second in the young-player vote.
The Guardian - Joan Laporta, Barcelona’s president, accepted the women’s club of the year award.
The Guardian - Lucy Bronze presented López’s award; Michael Owen presented Putellas’s Ballon d’Or. The article names Ada Hegerberg, Megan Rapinoe, Putellas and Bonmatí as the only winners of the women’s Ballon d’Or.
The Guardian - Cameroon coach Valentine Nguele was not nominated for coach of the year. Temwa Chawinga became the first African player to finish in the women’s top 10.
The Guardian - Khadija Shaw finished third, Melchie Dumornay fourth, and Poland’s Pajor second.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Alexia Putellas said in her acceptance speech, “This prize is for Barcelona.”
The Guardian - Khadija Shaw finished third after helping Manchester City win its first domestic title in a decade; she made the top three without playing in the Champions League.
The Guardian - The article says next year’s awards will focus on what happens at the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Guardian - Putellas’s award followed her recovery and return to the top after an anterior cruciate ligament injury to her left knee.
The Guardian - In 11 Women’s Champions League appearances last season, Putellas recorded 14 goal contributions: eight goals and six assists, helping Barcelona win the European title.
The Guardian - Putellas also starred in Spain’s victory in the Women’s Nations League finals.
The Guardian - In her acceptance speech, Putellas said, “This prize is for Barcelona.”
The Guardian - Barcelona won the women’s club of the year award. Laporta spoke about his belief that Barcelona’s men’s team could win the Champions League.
The Guardian - The article reports shorter women’s award shortlists than men’s in the young-player and goalkeeper categories: five women’s nominees versus 10 men’s nominees for young player.
The Guardian - The ceremony featured few women players or former players presenting awards; Bronze was the exception identified in the article.
Reddit Sports - The headline says Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for a record-equalling third time.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The awards ceremony was held at The London Palladium.
The Guardian - Barcelona lifted the European title; London City Lionesses is Putellas’s new club.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The women’s Ballon d’Or was introduced in 2018.
The Guardian - Putellas suffered her knee injury in 2022.
The Guardian - The voting period ran from “3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026.”
The Guardian - The rearranged Wafcon was held “from 26 July to 16 August”; the article says those performances will count toward the following year’s awards.
The Guardian - Putellas’s Women’s Nations League finals victory was in December, and the article says it was her team’s victory “last December.”
WHY:
The Guardian - The article says Poland’s Ewa Pajor and Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw may face difficulty winning next year because their national teams are less likely to succeed in major international competitions.
The Guardian - Putellas’s Champions League contributions and her role in Spain’s Nations League victory helped her secure the most votes.
The Guardian - The article says the voting period excluded the rearranged Wafcon because its dates fell outside the period, leaving African players underrepresented; Chawinga was the exception noted.
The Guardian - The article says the voting period was based on the end of the men’s World Cup and that Wafcon performances will instead be considered for the next awards.
HOW:
The Guardian - The winner was determined by votes; Putellas received the most votes.
The Guardian - The Guardian reports that the awards ceremony included women’s prizes in the same categories as the men’s, but with unequal shortlist lengths in some categories.
Alexia Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for a record-equalling third time, after returning from a serious knee injury and helping Barcelona win the Champions League with eight goals and six assists in 11 appearances. She also starred in Spain’s Nations League victory and said in her acceptance speech, “This prize is for Barcelona”; Ewa Pajor finished second and Khadija Shaw third. Barcelona’s Cata Coll, coach Pere Romeu and young player Vicky López also won awards, while the club took the women’s team prize.