The Ballon d’Or Claims to Celebrate Women’s Football, So Why Are Women Still Being Overlooked?

For 62 years, women were not acknowledged at the Ballon d’Or. They were first included in 2018, and only for the main prize; the goalkeeper and young player awards started last year. But its introduction may be seen as a forward-thinking move in the long term, and what has happened raises the question of whether the award consistently fulfils its purpose of celebrating women in football.

The issues extend beyond the ceremony itself to include female representation and the unequal structure of award categories and the voting process compared with the men's.

During the 2026 ceremony, FC Barcelona won the Women's Club of the Year award. But instead of the manager, staff, or players accepting the praise, the club's president, Joan Laporta, took the microphone. Co-host Thierry Henry asked about the importance of the women's side and its success in the Champions League. Still, Laporta had other ideas and instead spoke more about the men's team and its ambition than the women's, showing a lack of awareness and equality. Cameras captured Henry looking visibly baffled and awkward. At the same time, fans took to social media to criticise Laporta for using the occasion to discuss the men’s team rather than focusing on the women’s squad's accomplishments. The incident became an example of how women’s achievements can be overshadowed even when they are the subject of formal recognition. 

Many fans were frustrated with where the ad breaks were placed, all occurring before the female winner was announced. This was not the only error of the night. When they announced the women's winner on social media, they combined Alexia Putellas (the winner) and Aitana Bonmatí (former winner), calling Alexia Bonmati the winner and publishing that across platforms; this showed a lack of professionalism and care for standards towards the women. 

Presenters were also criticised for repeatedly mispronouncing Putellas’s name, reportedly referring to the historic three-time winner as “Alex” or “Alexis”. These errors contributed to the perception that the organisers had failed to give the women’s category the same attention to detail expected of a prestigious international football award. 

Another issue was the lack of women on stage presenting awards. The only player on stage was Lucy Bronze, who handed the women's young player award to Barcelona's Vicky Lopez. Critics argued the ceremony did not do enough to celebrate influential women in football history. This was amplified when Michael Owen was announced to deliver the women's main event, which featured a lengthy montage of the former player's goals.  Viewers criticised the segment as irrelevant to the women’s award and argued that its placement suggested that the women’s category was being treated as an afterthought.

Rather than building anticipation around the nominees' achievements, the segment redirected attention to the men’s game at a crucial moment in the women’s ceremony. Combined with the other production mistakes, it contributed to a wider debate about whether the event was genuinely designed to celebrate women’s football on equal terms. Many suggested that a woman should give out the women's award. At the same time, because the award is relatively new, they don't have a large pool of former winners; they could have brought in people who have had a historical impact on the women's game rather than relying on figures associated with the men's game.

The bias continued at the press conferences, with female journalists not being allowed to ask the men's winner, Harry Kane, any questions, and many female journalists appearing to have their attempts overlooked. The incident resulted in an apology from the Ballon d’Or organisers. It also raised concerns about the opportunities afforded to female journalists within football, particularly at an event that celebrates achievements across both the men’s and women’s games. The contrast between the two press conferences suggested that gender inequality could extend beyond the players being recognised to the journalists responsible for reporting on them. 

Within the category, there was a discrepancy between the Kopa (young player) and Yashin (goalkeeper) awards: the men had ten nominees compared to the women's five, potentially limiting opportunities and visibility. The gender inequality continued on the women's Coach of the Year shortlist, with only one woman among five nominees, and she lost out to a man who was presented the award by another man. Having the awards doesn't mean you're an ally or supporter of women's football; it's just the bare minimum.

Global recognition presents further challenges. The 2026 voting period, from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026, excluded the rearranged Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), held from 26 July to 16 August 2026. As a result, tournament achievements could not influence that year’s awards. Cameroon’s WAFCON-winning head coach, Valentine Nguele, was highlighted as an example of someone whose achievements fell outside the relevant period.

African players have also received limited representation in the final rankings. Temwa Chawinga became the first African player to finish in the women’s top ten, prompting debate about whether players outside the most prominent European competitions receive sufficient recognition. Together, these examples raise questions about whether the voting calendar and media coverage adequately reflect the global women’s game.

The voting system is significantly smaller for women. Instead of a panel of 100 international journalists from only the top 50 FIFA-ranked nations, the main issue is whether these journalists have enough knowledge of the women's game to vote correctly, given the recent dominance of household names like Putellas and Bonmati. They have won it between them for the last six years, while other players had a stronger stake in the award but were overlooked.

Alessia Russo and Kadidiatou Diani illustrate the challenges faced by players whose achievements may receive less attention than those of Barcelona’s stars. Russo’s contribution to England’s international success and Diani’s performances for Lyon, including her reported Champions League Golden Boot achievement, were presented in the original research as reasons for greater consideration.

Ewa Pajor provides another example. She reportedly scored 11 goals in ten Champions League matches, including a hat-trick in the final, yet finished second to Putellas. This raises questions about how voters balance goalscoring, creativity, leadership, individual performance and team success.

However, these outcomes do not prove that voters ignored individual merit or deliberately favoured established reputations. Rather, they highlight the difficulty of comparing players with different roles and achievements, particularly when some clubs and leagues receive greater media attention.

So, while the Ballon d’Or looks progressive on the outside by offering the same awards to both genders, French football still faces deep-rooted issues it must address to ensure equality, not just equal opportunity.