Spanish Dominance Likely to Continue in Women's Ballon d'Or Race
With a wealth of talent in both club and national teams, Spain is favored to extend its reign in the prestigious women's football award.
Spain's remarkable success in women's football suggests their dominance in the Ballon d'Or may continue. The nation boasts the world's most successful club side, Barcelona, which has reached seven of the last eight Champions League finals, winning four. Domestically, Barcelona has been the undisputed champion since the 2019-20 season, clinching titles by an average of 15 points.
The national team's achievements further underscore Spain's prowess. They were crowned world champions in 2023, were losing finalists in the 2025 Euros, and secured the Nations League title last December by defeating Germany in the final.
At the heart of this sustained success is Alexia Putellas, who contributed 21 goals and 13 assists during Barcelona's impressive season. Her influence as captain of an already stellar team is significant. With 38 trophies to her name, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner (2021 and 2022) is a strong contender to win the award again.
"Give it to her!" Spanish football expert Guillem Balague told BBC Sport. "Along with Marta, she is the best player in history. No doubt she was the best player in this campaign – and she won everything!"
Spain leads all nations with six players on the Ballon d'Or shortlist, and eight members of Barcelona's Champions League final starting lineup are in contention for the award. Among them are striker Claudia Pina, goalkeeper Cata Coll, and midfielder Patri Guijarro.
While Putellas is now playing in England, other contenders are making their case. Khadija Shaw of Manchester City was the Women's Super League's top scorer for the third consecutive season, netting 21 league goals last season to help her team win their first title in a decade, adding five more in the FA Cup. Shaw has scored 90 goals since joining in the summer of 2021 and recently signed a four-year contract.
"We haven't had a major tournament but there are some amazing players on the list," said former England international Ellen White. "I would love to see Shaw up there - brilliant goalscoring."
Despite Shaw's prolific scoring, her Manchester City team, which has five players on the shortlist, might be hindered by their absence from last season's Champions League.
Arsenal's Alessia Russo, who was second to Shaw in goals last season with nine in the Champions League, impressed in that competition. Russo finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting last year, behind Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey. However, Arsenal's exit in the semi-finals of this year's Champions League could impact her chances.
Another potential challenger is Ewa Pajor. The Polish forward scored 11 goals in 10 Champions League games last season, including a hat-trick in the final against Lyon. Pajor won the Women's Gerd Muller trophy for top scorer last season and finished eighth overall in the Ballon d'Or rankings, making her a dark horse for the top prize.