Sam Kerr is again in the running for the women’s Ballon d’Or award with Matildas teammate Hayley Raso also named among the 30 shortlisted players – the first time two Australian players have been nominated for the prestigious award.
Chelsea striker Kerr has finished third in voting in each of the last two years and has a chance of once again finishing on the podium as one of the world’s top three players.
She enjoyed another stellar season with Chelsea, helping secure a league and cup double for her WSL club, before overcoming injury to belatedly make her mark at the World Cup with one of the goals of the tournament in Australia’s semi-final against England.
Raso joins her captain on the list despite struggling for game time at Manchester City, before sealing a move to Real Madrid just before the World Cup.
Her performances at the tournament on home soil however appear to have elevated her into the company of the best players in the world. A starring role saw her score three times and make one assist in the Matildas’ run to the semis.
But the main award looks sure to go to one of the victorious Spanish World Cup team, with the hot favourite being Aitana Bonmati, who last week was named the Uefa women’s player of the year.
She is one of six female nominees from Spain, but her compatriot, two-time winner and holder Alexia Putellas, is not on the list after missing much of last year with a serious knee injury.
Kerr’s England teammate Millie Bright joins Kerr on the list.
The men’s award is likely to go to Lionel Messi, currently wowing a new audience in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
His masterful work in leading Argentina to the World Cup title in December seems sure to earn him the nod ahead of players like Erling Haaland, who is one of seven Manchester City players on the men’s list, and Kylian Mbappé.
But there is no place for Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner now playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, for the first time in two decades. The winners will be announced in Paris on 30 October.
