Ballon d'Or Back at Barcelona?

The Ballon d'Or nominees have been announced today for the 25/26 season with 30 players up for the prestigious award.

The nominated players are:

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

I feel the contenders this year are more clear than ever, with Fc Barcelona having completed the quadruple, going unbeaten in the Champions League, and only suffering one loss in Liga F. Their collective dominance is to be marvelled at, yet there are standout individuals that all arguably deserve the trophy.

Alexia Putellas and Ewa Pajor are the two names on everyone's minds.

Putellas registered 42g/a for club and country this season, with memorable moments being her free kick goal against Sweden in the Nations League semi-final, with her impact awarding her Nations League Player of the Tournament, as well as her goal against Bayern Munich in Barcelona's 7-1 domination in Matchweek 1 of the UWCL. Her curling shot from outside the box, top bins, kickstarted Barcelona's dream run in the competition. We also can't forget to mention her performances in the later stages of the competition, registering 7g/a in the quarter and semi-finals against Real Madrid and Bayern respectively. Her composure in midfield and her ability to play a through ball in to players to give them a shot on goal, alongside her ability to drive into the box and act as that poacher, almost taking on that role as a 9, is why she undeniably deserves her third Balon d'Or.

Pajor's impact is equally undisputed, having acquired 49g/a across the season, she was crucial in Barcelona's attacking prowess. She scored 5 goals across the UWCL quarter and semi-finals, being particularly pivotal in Barcelona's draw away from home against Bayern. However, it is her performance in the final against Lyon that solidifies her spot in the race for the award. Two goals and an assist, her first goal turned the tide of the game, with Lyon having looked more threatening in the first half of the match. Her instinct inside the box makes her undoubtedly a world-class striker who, after having finally achieved Europe's biggest trophy, deserves to be commended.

A player that often goes under the radar, but arguably is the most crucial to this dominant Barcelona side is Patri Guijarro. Despite her short period of injury which left her out for 12 weeks, Patri returned with the same flare and composure. Her two assists in the UWCL final had a clear impact, yet it is usually her pre-assist, a long ball to speed up the counter attack, a cheeky lob to the wing to push the team to make a threatening cross, that makes her so vital to Barça's game - it is Patri's creativity that sets the team alight.

Photo Credit: via @fcbfemeni

Photo Credit: via @mancitywomen

Outside of Barcelona there are other contenders that should be considered. Manchester City's WSL glory and their FA cup win deserves some recognition. Bunny Shaw and Yui Hasegawa are two players that had outstanding individual seasons. Shaw scored 21 goals in 22 WSL games, and acquired 45g/a for club and country. Whilst Hasegawa was a force to be reckoned with in City's midfield, her Asian Cup win, the third in Japan's history, reaffirmed her importance in how a team dominates the pace of the game.

There are cases to make for other players based on their individual performances and impact on their teams, however, most people are still uncertain as to what the true criteria is for this esteemed award.

Last season sparked controversy surrounding how the award is decided, with Aitana Bonmatí winning her third consecutive Balon d'Or despite not winning the Euro's or the UWCL. Despite Aitana quite clearly being a top player in the world, which was never a dispute, it felt confusing that an Arsenal player or a Lioness wasn't awarded the prize, and left viewers wondering what more players needed to do to get the recognition.

Therefore, it seems unlikely that a club's trophy cabinet for the season grants a player the individual accolade. Yet that information seems irrelevant this year, as with Barcelona's unremarkable achievemants, the award seems clearer than ever where its heading - that being back to Barcelona for the 6th consecutive time!