Who should win 2025 Ballon d’Or is a trending question after France football revealed the list of the 30 nominees, which a few standout players already tagged as leading contenders for the prize.
The attention garnered by women’s football has drawn even more focus to the individual prizes involved, and ahead of the 2025 Ballon d’Or, speculation is rife about who deserves the crown.
Previous winners Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí remain frontrunners, but this year promises to be tougher than ever, with former club teammate Mariona Caldentey also tipped for the prize following a stellar debut campaign with Arsenal in England.
Mariona’s new club teammate, Alessia Russo, is among the top favourites after a remarkable season for both club and country. She played a pivotal role in the conquest of two major titles, the Champions League and the European Championship.
All 30 Nominees For The 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or
| No. | Name of Nominee | County | Club |
| 1. | Aitana Bonmati | Spain | Barcelona |
| 2. | Alessia Russo | England | Arsenal |
| 3. | Alexia Putellas | Spain | Barcelona |
| 4. | Amanda Gutierres | Brazil | Palmeiras |
| 5. | Barbara Banda | Zambia | Orlando Pride |
| 6. | Caroline Hansen | Norway | Barcelona (left) |
| 7. | Caroline Wier | Scotland | Real Madrid |
| 8. | Chloe Kelly | England | Arsenal |
| 9. | Clara Mateo | France | Paris FC |
| 10. | Claudia Pina | Spain | Barcelona |
| 11. | Cristiana Girelli | Italy | Juventus |
| 12. | Emily Fox | United States | Arsenal |
| 13. | Esther Gonzalez | Spain | Gotham FC |
| 14. | Ewa Pajor | Poland | Barcelona |
| 15. | Frida Maanum | Norway | Arsenal |
| 16. | Hannah Hampton | England | Chelsea |
| 17. | Johanna Rytting Kaneryd | Sweden | Chelsea |
| 18. | Klara Bühl | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| 19. | Leah Williamson | England | Arsenal |
| 20. | Lindsey Heaps | United States | Lyon |
| 21. | Lucy Bronze | England | Chelsea |
| 22. | Mariona Caldentey | Spain | Arsenal |
| 23. | Marta | Brazil | Orlando Pride |
| 24. | Melchie Dumornay | Haiti | Lyon |
| 25. | Patri Guijarro | Spain | Barcelona |
| 26. | Pernile Harder | Denmark | Bayern Munich |
| 27. | Sandy Baltimore | France | Chelsea |
| 28. | Sofia Cantore | Italy | Juventus |
| 29. | Steph Catley | Australia | Arsenal |
| 30. | Temwa Chawinga | Malawi | Kansas City Current |
Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton, who clinched four domestic trophies before helping England defend their European crown this summer, are also strong contenders considering how the calendar has unfolded over the past 12 months.
Nevertheless, only one name will emerge when the award is handed out in September. Until then, the lingering question remains: who should win the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or?
The Journey Was Long, Not Straight, But Always Sparkling
Very little can be done between now and judgment day. The season is over, and so are the opportunities to make defining impacts.
Players from Barcelona and Chelsea led the way after league football, but the Spaniards held the edge, booking a final date with Arsenal in the Champions League.
Asserting their dominance, Barcelona thrashed Chelsea 8–2 over two legs in the semi-finals, extending their streak of consecutive final appearances to five.
They had already secured all three domestic titles, a feat Chelsea matched in England. However, Barcelona were denied the ultimate crown when Stina Blackstenius came off the bench to score the only goal in the final, as Arsenal clinched a second Champions League title, their first since 2005.
The result elevated Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey into the conversation. Both scored seven times in the competition, only Vivianne Miedema (10 in 2019–20) and Kim Little (9 in 2009–10) have scored more in a single campaign for an English club.
Arsenal’s fairytale run to the final also justified their inclusion. The Gunners trailed 2–0 to Real Madrid in the quarter-final first leg before producing a historic comeback at the Emirates to seal a 3–2 aggregate win. Russo grabbed a brace that night.
The first-leg semi-final saw them lose 2–1 at home to record winners Lyon, but they shocked the world with a 4–1 triumph in the return leg in France — Caldentey and Russo both scored and the latter added an assist.
WOMEN’S Euros | A Final Twist in the Tale
The club season wrapped, players’ attentions turned to national duty.Spain launched their Euros campaign with intent, brushing aside all opposition en route to the final.
Alexia Putellas starred in the group stage, her seven goal involvements in three games made her the early Ballon d’Or favourite. But she faded after the group stage, registering no further contributions before being subbed off in the 71st minute of the final.
In her wake, Aitana Bonmatí took charge, assisting the opener in Spain’s 2–0 quarter-final win over Switzerland, and netting the only goal in the semi-final against Germany. The reigning Ballon d’Or holder, however, saw her final act turn sour, as she missed a decisive penalty in the shootout leading to the loss to England.
Caldentey also enjoyed a strong Euros campaign, registering a goal and two assists in the group stages before assting the lone goal in the second final and opening the scoring in the final, though she too missed her penalty in the shootout.
On the other side stood Alessia Russo, pivotal throughout England’s run. She became the first player to assist three goals in a single Women’s Euro match, in a 4–0 win over the Netherlands.
The Arsenal forward also followed that with a goal in the final group game against Wales (6–1), and then another in the final, a towering header to restore parity against a dominant Spain.
Russo missed her penalty as well, but was spared by Chloe Kelly’s decisive spot-kick, which secured England’s second consecutive Euro triumph.
A Big Question That Divides Opinions | Who Should Win 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or?
Chelsea and Barcelona ruled domestically, but Chelsea’s English contingent went one step further with international glory.
Alessia Russo lifted both the Champions League and the European Championship. Mariona Caldentey won one and was a key figure in both finals.
The 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or currently revolves around these names, and even though any winner would be deserving, some, maybe more than others, especially if priority is given where due.
A Look at the Statistics | Alessia Russo, Alexia Putellas & Mariona Caldentey
Among the leading Ballon d’Or contenders, Russo and Caldentey led in Champions League goal involvement with nine apiece. Bonmatí followed with eight; Putellas had seven.
In Liga F, Putellas finished as the top assist provider with 11, adding 16 goals (five penalties), but that wasn’t enough to beat teammate Ewa Pajor to the top scorer award. Bonmatí managed 12 goals and five assists.
In the WSL (22-game season vs Liga F’s 30), Russo’s 12 goals made her joint top scorer alongside Bunny Shaw of Man City. Caldentey recorded nine goals and five assists. Only two players had more goal contributions (15) than both Russo and Caldentey (14) in the just-concluded WSL season.
Alessia Russo was Arsenal’s top scorer, and her goals count for 21 per cent of the club’s total in the league, the highest percentage contribution by any of the top contenders for the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or.
Who Should Win The 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or ? Beyond The Stats | Hannah Hampton
Hannah Hampton was a revelation. Her heroics between the posts were key to England’s title defence, and she was a cornerstone of Chelsea’s dominant domestic campaign.
She finished with a league-high 13 clean sheets, was instrumental in Chelsea’s run to the Champions League semis, and made 11 saves over two legs in the quarter-final tie vs Manchester City.Even in Barcelona’s 8-goal semi-final rout, she stood tall, saving nine shots, including a penalty from Putellas.
At the Euros, she won Player of the Match in both the semi-final and final, and posted a record-low 27% penalty conversion rate against her (3/11 faced)—the best ever at a single edition of the Euros or World Cup (min. 8 penalties faced).
Differential | Lucy Bronze
Lucy Bronze, another standout, played more minutes than any England outfield player, scored a key quarter-final goal against Sweden, and netted the winning penalty in the final shootout.With a domestic treble achieved with Chelsea already in hand, she too has a serious case.
The Verdict on Who Should Win The 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or
With the gala night approaching on September 22nd, the stage is set for the big reveal. No English woman has ever won the award, with Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead only finishing second in 2019 and 2022 respectively. This year, however, presents their best chance yet.
In Alessia Russo, they have one of the most standout individuals over the course of the season, and no player among the frontrunners scored more open-play goals than her. She is also the only one to have won both major tournaments and has a top scorer award to strengthen her claim.
She also won the FWA Player of the Year in the league, while her teammate Mariona Caldentey claimed the WSL Player of the Season. Both players, alongside Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton, have demonstrated what it takes to dethrone the Barcelona stars.
There has been a great deal of criticism surrounding individual awards in recent years, especially those governed by major football bodies. Given how this season has unfolded, the Ballon d’Or remains an open contest, but priority should arguably be given to achievements in major tournaments.
The last four editions have been won by just two players, from the same team and of the same nationality. Both are also leading contenders this time around, but they fell short in the major tournaments, beaten in both by players who themselves are now top contenders for the award.
Should priority be given to the player who has had the most impactful season through contributions to major victories, Alessia Russo, or to those who dominated domestically, yet faltered where it mattered the most?
Should it be domestically, Hannah Hampton and Lucy Bronze, the Chelsea duo who triumphed across all domestic fronts and also conquered the continent with their country, would be considered leading candidates as well, with edge over the Barcelona stars given their Euro conquest.
In the end, the organization will say it came down to voting. But any process that lacks transparency to the public cannot be trusted, especially when justice is perceived not to have been served.Given the context of the season, an English player should be on course to claim the award come 22nd of September.
But as we keep our fingers crossed for the outcome, let us know your take in the comment section.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
