Barbra Banda finishes 18th in the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or
The Zambian striker has been nominated for this prestigious individual award for the third time, following her previous nominations in 2024 and 2025.
The Copper Queens captain finished 12th in 2024, before dropping to 14th in 2025. This year, she occupies 18th place in the rankings.
This result comes following her standout performances at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco. Although Zambia were knocked out of the competition early on, Barbra Banda stood out for her clinical finishing.
The striker scored five goals in three matches, including a historic four-goal haul against Egypt. This performance confirmed her importance to the Zambian national team and her ability to make a difference on the continental stage.
By finishing in 18th place in this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or, Barbra Banda has dropped four places compared with last year.
Sansima Soumari
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
