No Italians feature among the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees. Last year Cristiana Girelli, who finished 16th, and Sofia Cantore, 24th, made the list. Two years ago Manuela Giugliano, the first Italian ever to be nominated for the most prestigious award, finished 27th. The only "Italian" club represented among the nominees is Como, through Belgian forward Tessa Wullaert.
Getty Images SportThere is no Aitana Bonmatí
Yet there is no place among the Women's Ballon d'Or nominees for reigning champion Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona, the only footballer alongside Michel Platini, from 1982 to 1984, and Messi himself, from 2009 to 2012, to win at least three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards. She broke her leg in November and missed a large part of the season as a result.
The list of candidates
Selma Bacha (France, OL Lyonnes)
Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride)
Esmee Brugts (Netherlands, Barcelona)
Klara Bühl (Germany, Bayern Munich)
Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Arsenal)
Scarlett Camberos (Mexico, Club América)
Kerstin Casparij (Netherlands, Manchester City)
Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City Current)
Cata Coll (Spain, Barcelona)
Melchie Dumornay (Haiti, OL Lyonnes)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
Alex Greenwood (England, Manchester City)
Patri Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)
Pernille Harder (Denmark, Bayern Munich)
Yui Hasegawa (Japan, Manchester City)
Rose Lavelle (United States, Gotham FC)
Mapi León (Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses)
Lorena (Brazil, Kansas City Current)
Melvine Malard (France, Manchester United/Chelsea)
Manaka Matsukubo (Japan, North Carolina Courage/Chelsea)
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands, Manchester City)
Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona)
Clàudia Pina (Spain, Barcelona)
Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses)
Wendie Renard (France, OL Lyonnes)
Alessia Russo (England, Arsenal)
Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City)
Momoko Tanikawa (Japan, Bayern Munich)
Caroline Weir (Scotland, Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes)
Tessa Wullaert (Belgium, Inter/Como)
Ceremony in London
The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on 26 October and, for the first time, it will be held in London rather than Paris. The award is organised by the French sports magazine France Football, but to mark the 70th anniversary it was decided to honour the winner of the first edition in 1956, the English footballer Stanley Matthews, by staging the ceremony in England.
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