2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or: Who Are the Favourites to Win?
The 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or race is open with no previous winner Aitana Bonmatí on the shortlist. Key contenders include Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor, Bunny Shaw, and Alexia Putellas.
The race for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, or Ballon d’Or Feminin, looks considerably more open than it has in recent years.
Aitana Bonmatí won the award in 2023, 2024 and 2025, but the Barcelona star is missing from this year’s 30-player shortlist after injury disrupted her season. That guarantees a new winner and has opened the door for several of the biggest names in the women’s game.
The winner will be revealed on October 26 at the London Palladium, with the ceremony being staged in London for the first time as the Ballon d’Or celebrates its 70th anniversary.
Is Ewa Pajor the Player to Beat?
Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor has one of the strongest cases.
The Poland international scored 11 times in the 2025/26 Women’s Champions League, finishing as the competition’s leading scorer. Most importantly, two of those goals came in Barcelona’s emphatic 4-0 victory over OL Lyonnes in the final, where Pajor was also named Player of the Match.
She already won the Women’s Striker of the Year award in 2025 and could now take the biggest individual prize of all.
Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas cannot be ignored either. The two-time winner is the only previous Women’s Ballon d’Or winner on the 2026 shortlist, giving her the opportunity to become the first player other than Bonmatí to win since Putellas herself took the award in 2022.
Bunny Shaw Could Break Barcelona’s Grip
If the award does not go to a Barcelona player, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw may be the biggest threat.
The Manchester City striker had a remarkable domestic season, scoring 21 WSL goals as City won the league. That earned Shaw a record third consecutive WSL Golden Boot, while she was also named PFA Women’s Player of the Year and WSL Player of the Season.
That combination of goals, trophies and individual recognition makes her a serious candidate.
Alessia Russo is another British-based contender. The Arsenal forward, who finished third in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, scored 24 times in 40 club appearances last season and was second only to Pajor in the Champions League scoring charts with nine goals.
OL Lyonnes star Melchie Dumornay is another potential challenger after helping the French club reach the Champions League final.
What Are the Biggest Surprises?
Bonmatí’s absence is unquestionably the headline shock. After winning three consecutive awards, few would have expected the 2026 ceremony to take place without her among the nominees.
The shortlist is also notably international. Players from the NWSL, Liga MX Femenil and leagues across Europe feature alongside the established Barcelona, Manchester City and Lyon stars, with names such as Temwa Chawinga, Scarlett Camberos and Barbra Banda ensuring this is far from a Europe-only contest.
Who Could Win the Other Women’s Awards?
Hannah Hampton will attempt to retain the Goalkeeper of the Year prize, although Barcelona’s Cata Coll, Manchester City’s Ayaka Yamashita, Lorena and Ann-Katrin Berger provide strong competition.
The Young Talent award features Vicky López, Lily Yohannes, Veerle Buurman, Felicia Schröder and Clara Serrajordi, while Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, OL Lyonnes and Club América are shortlisted for Women’s Club of the Year.
Pere Romeu and Manchester City boss Andrée Jeglertz should also be prominent in the Coach of the Year discussion.
There may be no Bonmatí this time, but that has arguably made the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or more intriguing than ever.
