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Nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or Féminin were announced on Wednesday, with five players from the U.S. women’s national team making the list.
Captain and midfielder Lindsey Horan, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson were all nominated, just weeks after the U.S. won Olympic gold.
Their nominations make the USWNT one of two teams with the most players on the list, with 2023 World Cup champion Spain also putting five players among the nominees.
Additionally, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes is nominated for Women’s Coach of the Year. She had just 10 games with the USWNT before winning gold, and helped Chelsea to the FA Women’s League Cup in her final game with the Blues.
Here are some key takeaways following the nominations.
USWNT back on top, NWSL has six nominees
It’s not surprising that a number of USWNT players are on the nomination list, given that the team won its fifth gold medal by topping Brazil at the Paris Games.
Last year, Smith was the USWNT’s lone nominee. This year, the team has its three best forwards nominated, and the lone goalkeeper among the nominees. Whether any of those players win remains to be seen, but you could certainly make a case for any of them.
Swanson was the team’s leading scorer at the Olympics, with four goals - including the gold medal-winning goal. She’s been stellar for Chicago as well, with seven goals and three assists near the top of the NWSL.
Smith is near the top of the NWSL's Golden Boot standings with 11 goals while Rodman has six goals and four assists while helping Washington to second in the standings.
The odds are in favor of the USWNT having its second Ballon d’Or winner after Megan Rapinoe (2019), but who that person is is a toss up. After all, there wasn’t a single player among the three forwards that stood out more than the other at the Olympics. Rather, they made each other stronger on the field, which is where club play could come into consideration.
Even as a number of international players attempt to argue that the NWSL isn’t as strong as some other leagues around the world, newcomers such as Barbra Banda have helped strengthen the league. The Orlando Pride’s star, who was also nominated, and Tarciane, who joined the Dash in an April transfer, are the lone non-USWNT players nominated that play in the NWSL.
Just two NWSL players were nominated in 2023, and in 2024 that number has increased to six, matching 2019 for the most nominees in one year in the league. It’s the second-most for any league behind the WSL, which has eight players nominated.
Additionally, NJ/NY Gotham FC was also nominated for Women’s Club of the Year alongside European powerhouses such as Barcelona and Lyon. As it implements its landmark CBA, one can expect that the number of NWSL players on the Ballon d’Or list could soon grow as the league continues to strengthen.
Naomi Girma left off
Even as the USWNT had great representation on the list, arguably one of its best players was left off. During the Olympics, Naomi Girma showcased why she’s the best of American soccer and might perhaps one day be regarded as one of the best defenders of a generation. During the Olympics, new coach Emma Hayes called Girma “the best defender I’ve ever seen.”
That sentiment was echoed by USWNT and former Stanford teammate Smith, who called Girma "one of the best defenders in the world.” Speaking to USA Today in August, Smith said of Girma, “She’s just so composed. She’s just an amazing player and someone you want on your team.”
On Wednesday, Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey called out the omission.
“The ballon d’or is recognition of what? Is it domestic performances? Is it national team performances? Is it Champions League performances? Because on the women's side how Naomi Girma isn’t nominated makes the whole thing hilarious,” she wrote on social media.
Why she was left off the list is a mystery. There are defenders on the list, sure, but that Girma isn’t among them is puzzling. Girma’s been among the best in the world for several years, and this year only cemented her status. While the Wave have struggled to start the season, the Ballon d’Or looks back on the player’s individual performance and team success over the previous season – which would include the team’s NWSL Shield run in 2023.
Similarly, Girma hasn’t been the reason that the Wave have struggled this season. Even at 24, Girma has shown maturity beyond her years, wearing the captain’s band for both the Wave and USWNT at different times. While the USWNT’s back line could have struggled in the transition from a powerhouse such as Becky Sauerbrunn, Girma ensures that the USWNT’s defense will remain among the world’s best for years to come.
The Ballon d’Or Féminin hasn’t been around long, and in its history defenders haven’t been widely regarded. The top three have most often been forwards or midfielders, and no defender has ever won the award on the women’s side. But if there ever were a defender to win it, it should be Girma. If not now, then soon.
Ceremony scheduling shows continue lack of respect for women’s players
This year, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Oct. 28.
That date takes into consideration the men’s October international match calendar, which falls between Oct. 7-15. No such consideration was taken for the women’s calendar, with the window taking places between Oct. 21-30.
That means that a number of women’s players, should they want to attend the ceremony, would have to miss time with their national teams to do so. USWNT players have a game on Oct. 27 against Iceland and another on the Oct. 30 against Argentina.
England plays a game Oct. 29 against South Africa. Germany plays Australia on the Monday that the ceremony takes place. That means that three of the top five teams in the world could have players missing during an international window.
Or, conversely, players from three of the top five teams in the world would have to miss one of the biggest awards ceremonies in soccer. It’s not a new conflict. Last year, players were forced to miss the ceremony due to the international window as well. England’s Georgia Stanway, who was a nominee last year, noted that it’s frustrating that it falls during the women’s window.
"That's something we spoke as a player group [about], and we just kind of said it would be nice in the future if it wasn't on a matchday minus-1, so that we could enjoy the experience,” Stanway said last year. "It is [frustrating], because it's potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You never know if you're ever going to get selected for such an accolade like that again, so it would be really nice to enjoy the experience and be there and feel like a star amongst the stars.
“If it was planned a little bit better, then maybe it would be easier for a lot of female footballers to be there."
Such disrespect isn't just in the scheduling of the event. Tennis champion Novak Djokovic, who has previously spoken out against equal pay in sport and has no direct connection with women’s soccer, was chosen to present the Ballon d’Or to winner Aitana Bonmatí.
There’s also something to be said for the fact that the men’s side has a Best Goalkeeper award (Yashin Trophy), a U21 trophy (Kopa Trophy) and a top scorer trophy (Gerd Müller Trophy).
While there are men’s and women’s awards for top coach and club of the year, the ceremony has yet to achieve true parity in recognizing the best goalkeepers in the women’s game, it’s best young talent and its top scorers.