Ballon d'Or Feminin 2026 Power Rankings: Who will end Aitana Bonmati's three-year dominance of the Women's Golden Ball?

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, could Mariona Caldentey 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.

Caldentey's attacking numbers were down on last year, though, both domestically and in the Champions League, due to the deeper role she's been asked to play more consistently at club level, and that is likely to have an impact on her chances. 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, will hurt her. Expect last year's runner-up to still get votes, though.

In 2025-26: 12 goals, nine assists. Won Liga F, Supercopa de Espana, Copa de la Reina & Champions League.

The Women's Ballon d'Or is an interesting award. Due to the global voting system and disparity in visibility of certain competitions, a performance on the very biggest stage can really propel a player up the rankings, with Chloe Kelly's fifth-placed finish in the 2025 voting a good example. The England international struggled for game time through much of the season, but her performances at the European Championship saw her rack up tons of votes in the end.

There is always a player like this, and this year, it could be Salma Paralluelo. The Barcelona star did not have a poor season, nor was she out-of-favour throughout it, but she was outshone by others as the Catalans swept all before them and won a quadruple. That was until the Champions League final, in which Paralluelo put her name in lights.

In the closing minutes of the game in Oslo, the 22-year-old scored two brilliant goals to put Barca out of sight in a 4-0 win over Lyon. Such a high-profile showing is likely to stick in the minds of Ballon d'Or voters.

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, this 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 this 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 should still earn herself a nomination in 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: 30 goals, nine assists. Won UEFA Nations League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espana, Copa de la Reina & Champions League.

Claudia Pina had herself a brilliant 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, who she helped win the Nations League, and Barca, who won the quadruple.

However, she endured a little dip in that productivity in 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: 16 goals, four assists. Won NWSL 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 own 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, with Marta awarded the Golden Ball after helping Brazil win Copa America while Gonzalez top-scored at Euro 2025 as Spain reached the final.

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 made an electric start to the 2026 campaign, too.

As such, the forward should be respected again in the Ballon d'Or voting, and she will have further opportunity to add to her credentials in the summer, as Malawi make their debut at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

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

Nominated in 2023 and 2024, Yui Hasegawa should be on the longlist again in 2026 as she was the heartbeat of a Man City team which took the WSL by storm this 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 this term and that resulted in some more goal contributions, which 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 from Sunday's 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 clearly cut through last year and she was excellent this time around, too. 

The flying winger matched her goals and surpassed her assists in the Bundesliga from last year, with her Champions League numbers soaring too, 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 surely put herself back among the Ballon d'Or nominees.

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

Last year, Alessia Russo finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting. This time around, on an individual basis, she had an even better season. Could she be the one to make the leap and win the Golden Ball?

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 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, is set to hamper the striker's 2026 Ballon d'Or bid.

That said, Russo's numbers this season have been 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: 17 goals, 16 assists. Won Liga F, Supercopa de Espana, Copa de la Reina & Champions League.

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, with stars in the relatively lower-profile Bundesliga often overlooked, for example, while Barcelona maestro Caroline Graham Hansen had to wait until 2024 for her first nomination. However, the Norway international has broken through that glass ceiling now and should be in the mix again in 2026.

Only one player had more direct goal involvements in Liga F this season than Graham Hansen, who led the division for assists, and the Barca star regularly rose to the big occasions, too, with some fantastic performances in the Champions League knockout stages.

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

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 should not prevent 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 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: 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 this term, eight more than anyone else in the division, and she 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 in the semi-finals fired City to Wembley and she was then outstanding in the final, scoring one and assisting another in the 4-0 win over Brighton. 

In 2025-26: 32 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 have enjoyed the same success this time around, all while Harder has produced numbers that eclipsed those of last year. Throw in the star 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, plus how she has helped put an understandably unfancied Denmark in pole position to 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: 20 goals, 12 assists. Won Coupe de la Ligue, Coupe de France & Premiere Ligue.

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 this season, in which she has regularly stood out as the best player on the pitch.

After scoring at a remarkable rate last year, Dumornay assisted more regularly this time around, 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 hitting 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 of that competition. 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 Liga F, Supercopa de Espana, Copa de la Reina & Champions League.

Ewa Pajor continues to put up eye-watering numbers in front of goal, and her role in Barcelona's strong season on four fronts should see her return to the Ballon d'Or shortlist this year after a very successful showing in 2025. Last time around, the Poland international collected the Gerd Muller Trophy for her goal-scoring exploits and also ranked eighth in the voting for the main award. It feels very likely that she will place even higher this term. Indeed, she is a serious contender for the Golden Ball.

Pajor may not have broken the 50-goal barrier she did last year, 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: 22 goals, 12 assists. Won UEFA Women's Nations League, Liga F, Supercopa de Espana, Copa de la Reina & Champions League.

For many, Alexia Putellas would have been a deserving winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or Feminin. The Barcelona star looked arguably better than ever last 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 only carried that 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 has 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 has played in Barca winning a quadruple, plus early award recognition like the Champions League Player of the Season accolade, Putellas feels like the front-runner for the 2026 Ballon d'Or Feminin.