In the glittering world of global football, few awards carry the weight of the Ballon d’Or. But since 2018, a new chapter has been written, one where the best women in the game finally stand on equal footing, celebrated not only for trophies, but for the cultural shifts they’ve ignited.
Six editions have been held. Four women have won it. And in recent years, Spain has all but locked it down.
From Lyon’s queen to Barcelona’s dynasty
Ada Hegerberg made history in 2018 as the first woman to claim the Ballon d’Or Féminin. The Norwegian striker had bulldozed through Europe with Lyon, scoring a record 15 goals in that season’s Champions League and leading her team to a treble. Yet her win wasn’t without controversy. On stage, she was asked if she could twerk. The moment went viral. The outrage was swift. But so was the support, and Hegerberg’s resolve. She turned the spotlight back to football: “Believe in yourselves,” she told girls worldwide.
In 2019, Megan Rapinoe took the mic. Golden Ball, Golden Boot, World Cup champion. Rapinoe’s World Cup was a masterclass in timing and audacity. On and off the pitch. She scored clutch goals. Faced down the U.S. president. Became a beacon for LGBTQ+ rights and equal pay. Her Ballon d’Or wasn’t just a footballing accolade. It was political. Cultural. A torch passed to a new generation.
Then came the Barcelona era.
Alexia Putellas won in 2021 and again in 2022, becoming the first back-to-back winner. In 2021, she captained Barcelona to their first ever Women’s Champions League, scoring 26 goals from midfield. In 2022, she outdid herself, 18 league goals, 15 assists, 11 in the Champions League. Even a torn ACL before Euro 2022 couldn’t keep her from claiming the crown again.
In 2023 and 2024, Aitana Bonmatí picked up where her teammate left off. Bonmatí orchestrated a quadruple for Barcelona, then powered Spain to their first Women’s World Cup, earning the tournament’s Golden Ball. She followed it up with another Champions League, another league title, and a Nations League win. As of now, she’s won two Ballons d’Or, and is chasing a third.
As Pep Guardiola put it, “Aitana Bonmatí is a football player who has me completely in love with her for the way she plays.”
What the trends say
Since 2021, no one outside of Spain or FC Barcelona has won. Every Ballon d’Or Féminin since then has gone to a midfielder. And nearly all were deeply intertwined with cultural moments.
Hegerberg’s stance on equal pay. Rapinoe’s leadership beyond the pitch. Putellas and Bonmatí’s fight to reform Spain’s federation post Rubiales. These players haven’t just lifted trophies, they’ve reshaped the power dynamics of football itself.
And yet, 2025 could bring a shift.
With England eyeing Euro 2025, Alessia Russo or Lauren James could stake their claim. France‘s Kadidiatou Diani, Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen, or even a breakout from Zambia’s Barbra Banda could crash the party.
For now, though, the Ballon d’Or Féminin tells the story of a sport in motion, where dominance is earned, not assumed, and the women who win it do far more than play.
They lead.
