Three of the four winners since the Ballon d’Or was expanded to recognize female footballers in 2018 are once again in rivalry: Bonmati (2023), her Spanish teammate Alexia Putellas (2021, 2022) and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg ( 2018).
Five members of the US Olympic gold medal-winning team are also nominated: Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith and Alyssa Naeher.
Balague: “Aitana Bonmati controls the game, she has goals, assists, personality. She is growing fantastically well with a team that has taken women’s football to a new dimension.
“He has the basic requirements that any midfielder should strive to achieve, but because the Ballon d’Or is not just about football, it also represents the club and the national team quite well.
“She is a reference for the kids in the stands and the kids in the game. She is a great representative of soccer.”
Former England midfielder Fara Williams: “I would like to see Lindsey Horan in the top five, but my favorite would be Bonmati. It’s his IQ: his understanding of the game is up there with the best.
“She controls Barcelona’s midfield; in fact, she will get them going. Not only does she control it, she also provides goals and helps her sport. Even though you are a midfielder and you have the attributes, you are actually key.”
Jen Beattie, Bay FC defender: “I’m going for Trinity Rodman. She’s had an out-of-this-world season. What she did at the Olympics was fantastic.”
“She is the perfect combination of pace and technical ability. The speed she reaches on the field is incredible.
“She really deserves it. What she has achieved for the club and the nation, that is what puts you in the mix for the Ballon d’Or. She has achieved it at every level.”
Former England striker Ellen White: “Trinity Rodman may win it, or Sophia Smith or Aitana Bonmati.
“But I want to congratulate Barbra Banda. She had an incredible Olympic Games, with successive hat-tricks. She is the second top scorer in the NWSL with 13 goals in 20 games.”
