Ballon d’Or 2026: Three African Stars Nominated for Women’s Player of the Year

The nominees for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or have been announced, with three African stars earning a place on the prestigious 30-player shortlist.

Zambia’s Barbra Banda, Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga, and Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw are among the standout names competing for the women’s top individual prize in football.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 26, 2026, in London, England.

Full 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or Nominees

• 🇫🇷 Selma Bacha
• 🇿🇲 Barbra Banda
• 🇩🇪 Klara Bühl
• 🇳🇱 Esmee Brugts
• 🇪🇸 Mariona Caldentey
• 🇲🇽 Scarlett Camberos
• 🇳🇱 Kerstin Casparij
• 🇲🇼 Temwa Chawinga
• 🇪🇸 Cata Coll
• 🇭🇹 Melchie Dumornay
• 🇳🇴 Caroline Graham Hansen
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Alex Greenwood
• 🇪🇸 Patri Guijarro
• 🇩🇰 Pernille Harder
• 🇯🇵 Yui Hasegawa
• 🇺🇸 Rose Lavelle
• 🇪🇸 Mapi León
• 🇧🇷 Lorena
• 🇫🇷 Melvine Malard
• 🇯🇵 Manaka Matsukubo
• 🇳🇱 Vivianne Miedema
• 🇵🇱 Ewa Pajor
• 🇪🇸 Claudia Pina
• 🇪🇸 Alexia Putellas
• 🇫🇷 Wendie Renard
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Alessia Russo
• 🇯🇲 Khadija Shaw
• 🇯🇵 Momoko Tanikawa
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Caroline Weir
• 🇧🇪 Tessa Wullaert