THe released the Ballon d’Or shortlists naturally focused on the absence of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from the men’s top 30 for the first time in 21 years, but the real glaring omissions were found in the award ceremony’s symbolic efforts towards women. football.
Before you even get to the list of Ballon d’Or Féminin awards, there are some important things missing. Two awards, not to mention individual nominations. That’s because the organizers, France Football and Uefa, have awards for the best men’s goalkeeper of the year – the Yashin Award – and the best young player of the year – the Kopa Award – but neither of these categories have yet been created. to the women’s game, as the Ballon d’Or expanded to recognize female footballers in 2018.
The absence of an award for female under-21 players is a shame as it is a missed opportunity to celebrate players such as 20-year-old Barcelona and Spain striker Salma Paralluelo, Colombia and Real Madrid winger Linda Caicedo and United. States and Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson. Lamine Yamali, Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho will receive a well-deserved standing ovation, but none for their female counterparts.
Goalkeepers such as Spain’s World Cup winner Cata Coll, who also won the Women’s Champions League with Barcelona, ​​or Mary Earps, who added the FA Cup to her World Cup Golden Glove, have been made clear by the organizers that they are not as worthy of recognition. like Emiliano MartÃnez.
A spokesman for the Ballon d’Or defended the awards, pointing to their addition of the Women’s Coach of the Year award, saying: “We have been committed to honoring women’s football since the inception of the Women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018, and we are proud of the progress made so far.”
Then there’s the awards day, Monday 28 October, coinciding – as it does every year – with the women’s international break. This guarantees that some of the female candidates will not be able to attend the ceremony in Paris.
With Germany hosting Australia in an international friendly, Germany’s trio of Lea Schüller, Sjoeke Nüsken and Giulia Gwinn are probably ruled out – one on the 10th shortlist. In addition, a large number of shortlisted players are preparing for the next day’s matches, such as Ada Hegerberg, a former Ballon d’Or winner, who could be involved in Norway’s European Championship play-offs.
Organizers said: “The date for the 2024 ceremony was chosen, as every year, based on a number of key considerations. These include the need to wait for the end of the 2023-24 football season and the end of the Paris 2024 Olympics, to hold the ceremony as close as possible to the end of the 2023-24 football season, giving referees enough time to vote, and to avoid any date clashes with domestic football leagues in Europe (ie excluding Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) , as well as weeks with European club football matches. Based on the criteria mentioned, October 28th was the only viable date before mid-December, which we felt would have been too late to hold the ceremony.
Last year, the ceremony was held 24 hours before England’s Nations League away game against Belgium, so Lionesses selected for the next round, such as Georgia Stanway, did not attend. This year, England will play a home match against South Africa on the 29th. October, and head coach Sarina Wiegman will decide whether the candidates — Lauren James, Lucy Bronze and Lauren Hamp — will go.
The night before the awards show, the U.S. faces Iceland in Nashville, presenting the five U.S. nominees and Iceland and Bayern Munich defender GlódÃs Viggósdóttir with the challenge—though not an impossible task—of getting to Paris in time. The list could go on forever.
Yes, around half of the men’s nominees may have been in domestic cup action on Wednesday, including Rodri, one of the favourites, but none are scheduled to play on the night of the ceremony. And the women’s international break, when players are competing around the world, is not a respectable time to hold this event if you truly care about the women’s game.
To add insult to injury for female players comes the Ballon d’Or list itself, and this is where women’s football followers have every right to be upset. Fans and coaches took to social media last week to boo the omission of US defender Naomi Girma from the 30-man roster.
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It’s true that some of the U.S.’s Olympic gold-winning performances came after the cutoff period — this award looks at performances between Aug. 1, 2023, and July 31, 2024 — but it has baffled thousands that Girma isn’t listed. In light of his San Diego Wave shows. He is widely regarded as the best central defender in the world.
Likewise, given Keira Walsh’s key role in helping Barcelona retain their Women’s Champions League title, and as the England midfielder has also been instrumental in the Lionesses’ reaching the World Cup finals in the allotted time, her absence from the list undermines the credibility of this award. .
The players are selected by France Football with input from UEFA’s women’s football unit. The winner is chosen by a jury of women’s football journalists representing the top 50 FIFA women’s countries.
There are other notable absentees, including French striker Kadidiatou Diani, last season’s Champions League top scorer, Alex Greenwood, arguably the best defender at last summer’s World Cup, and Spain captain Olga Carmona, a left-back. their World Cup and won the final with England.
Maybe they’re semantics, because there’s always a debate about who could be 25th-30th. on the list of 30. But leaving out Girma and Walsh, both of whom would be very difficult to leave out of the World XI and strong candidates. the main prize, if you asked managers and coaches around the world, again gives the impression that this prestigious event, the great Ballon d’Or, is lip service to women’s football.
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