Could an English player win the 2025 Ballon d’Or Feminin after the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 triumph?
The race for the women’s Ballon d’Or looks wide open after England beat Spain on penalties out in Switzerland. Superstar names from Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea are among the leading contenders for the most prestigious individual award in the prize.
Here’s our power rankings for the 2025 Ballon d’Or Feminin.
10. Sandy Baltimore
The only player on this list not to represent England, Barcelona or Spain.
Surely Chelsea’s best player as they registered an outstanding unbeaten domestic treble, Baltimore offered a reminder of her quality, on the scoresheet as France outclassed the Lionesses in the Euro 2025 opener.
But that already feels like a long time ago. The winger’s exceptional 2024-25 campaign has been overshadowed a little following Les Bleus’ failure to make it past 10-woman Germany in the quarters.
Honourable mentions for Caroline Graham Hansen and Esther Gonzalez, too.
9. Lucy Bronze
Bronze gets maximum narrative points for playing the entirety of England’s victorious Euro 2025 campaign with a fractured tibia. Hard as nails.
It was evident that the veteran right-back wasn’t moving as freely as she might’ve been. She might not be quite as good as she was when she finished runner-up back in 2019, but her commitment is unquestionable.
A ninth career league title to go with the FA Cup and League Cup in her debut season with Chelsea, followed by that campaign with the Lionesses. Class is permanent.
8. Stina Blackstenius
We can’t see the Sweden international making a serious challenge for the Ballon d’Or podium, but she’s surely a dead cert to receive a nomination and end up on the eventual 30-woman shortlist.
The forward scored Arsenal’s legendary match-winner off the bench in the Champions League final and claimed the Player of the Match award for her vital intervention.
Blackstenius then produced a strong showing at Euro 2025, scoring against England in the quarter-finals. Every chance they’d have made it through had she stayed on the pitch for the shootout.
7. Ewa Pajor
Poland were eliminated after back-to-back defeats to Germany and Sweden in the Euro 2025 group stage.
But it would’ve required a superhuman effort from their captain and all-time top goalscorer to fire the relative minnows out of a tough group.
Take nothing away from Pajor’s sensational 2024-25. She scored 43(!) goals in just 45 appearances in her debut season leading the line for Barcelona.
Surely the most lethal goalscorer in the women’s game right now.
6. Chloe Kelly
Ordinarily, you’d think Kelly would be among the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or.
Arguably the face of the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 achievement, just as she was the first time around, there’s no arguing with the forward’s ability to come up clutch in the key moments.
And her outstanding contributions for England in the latter knockout stages come hot off the heels after lifting the Champions League trophy with her club.
Crucially, though, you can’t have a Ballon d’Or winner that’s a super-sub, can you? It just wouldn’t feel right.
5. Aitana Bonmati
We might’ve been on for a threepeat had Bonmati converted her penalty in the Euro 2025 final shootout and gone on to lift the trophy, but it looks like it’s not to be this year.
We’d quibble with the Barcelona superstar’s ‘Player of the Tournament’ award in terms of her consistent performance level, but her inspired match-winner in the semi-final against Germany demonstrated she’s still world-class.
All that after being hospitalised with viral meningitis on the eve of the tournament. Outrageous.
QUIZ: Can you name every winner of the Women’s Ballon d’Or?
4. Mariona Caldentey
WSL Player of the Year. A Champions League winner. Euro 2025 runner-up, having scored in the final.
Like Bonmati, things might look very different had she scored her penalty in the shootout. Those are often the kinds of margins these things are decided on.
3. Leah Williamson
Williamson herself would freely admit she’s not the best footballer on the planet. She wouldn’t have even been in the conversation a couple of months back.
But the Ballon d’Or is just as much about recognising a great year, and standing tall in big moments, as it is about crowning the best player.
The centre-back produced a monstrous display to shut out this era-defining Barcelona side in the Champions League final and looked just as unflappable with an iconic captain’s display in the Euro 2025 final.
Summers don’t get much better than that, do they? No defender has won the Ballon d’Or Feminin but there’s a first for everything. A Cannavaro-esque showing from Williamson with everything on the line.
2. Alessia Russo
The third player in our power rankings to win the hallowed European Championships and Champions League double, Russo ranks the highest of the lot.
She capped off an excellent year – top scorer in the WSL, 20 goals for Arsenal in all competitions (including in their stunning comeback victory over Lyon) and FWA Footballer of the Year – with her towering leap against Spain.
We might well see a first English winner of the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen. Watch this space.
1. Alexia Putellas
Neither of this year’s European champions – Arsenal nor England – have one totemic figure that’s an obvious frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or. You could make a case for any one of the aforementioned Lionesses and Gunners.
That will help Putellas’ case for the award to go to the actual best footballer on the planet, as disappointing as the Champions League and Euros ended up for her.
The midfielder notched 16 goals and 11 assists as Barcelona romped home to yet another Liga F title, completing a domestic treble.
Back to her best after some injury-laden years, Putellas would be well worthy of a record third Ballon d’Or if you take a wider look at the year as a whole.
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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every winner of the Women’s European Championship?
