The Balloon d’Or 2023 ceremony took place on Monday night, 30th October. Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or following a tremendous season with Barcelona in which she won the Spanish Women’s League, the Champions League, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 with Spain in the summer.
Ballon d’Or top 10
1. Aitana Bonmati (Spain and Barcelona)
2. Sam Kerr (Australia and Chelsea)
3. Salma Paralluelo (Spain and Barcelona)
4. Fridolina Rolfo (Sweden and Barcelona)
5. Mary Earps (England and Manchester United)
6. Olga Carmona (Spain and Real Madrid)
7. Alexandra Popp (Germany and VfL Wolfsburg)
8. Patricia Guijarro (Spain and Barcelona)
9. Linda Caicedo (Colombia and Real Madrid)
10. Rachel Daly (England and Aston Villa)
Notably, Arsenal Women’s Katie McCabe and Amanda Ilestedt finished 22nd and 15th, respectively. That said, there has been a backlash against the Ballon d’Or ceremony as far as the women’s game is concerned.
Many people are upset because the event was held when the women’s football stars were on international duty. The majority of the top women football players, or the 30 nominees, were not there to represent their national teams.
Arsenal’s Katie McCabe, for example, missed the event because she wanted to train with her Irish colleagues to help them continue their strong showing in Nations League Group B.
Arsenal’s Jen Beattie is one of the women footballers who has spoken out and asked the Ballon d’Or organisers to do better. She wrote on X:
“Beyond disappointing that the @ballondor was held during a women’s international break, making it pretty impossible for most of the nominees to even attend. Do better!”
Do you believe the Ballon d’Or organisers were insensitive not to consider the women nominees, who were all over the world, representing their national teams?
COYGW!
Michelle Maxwell
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