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NWSL and USWNT nominees to know at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony
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- NWSL and USWNT nominees to know at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony
Photo by Dustin Satloff/NWSL via Getty Images | NWSL via Getty Images
The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place Monday, Oct. 26 as soccer's best will gather once again for the most prestigious awards show in the sport. While we wait to see who Football France chooses as the best players from last season in each category, let's take a look at six of the nominees from this side of the globe.
Rose Lavelle – Gotham FC
I dance through midfield, leaving defenders behind. When the biggest games arrive, my best moments you'll find. A championship won with one perfectly timed strike. Who am I, the creator who makes magic look alike?
Lavelle's accolades list is long. The midfielder was chosen as the 2025 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after she won the NWSL Championship that year and was chosen as the final's MVP. Months later, she won the Challenge Cup. However, her nomination comes from something other than her goal contributions or silverware.
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She was decisive in Gotham's postseason run, producing when the stakes were higher than ever. Though she missed the first part of the 2025 season, the midfielder made up for lost time tallying seven goal contributions in the last nine matches of the regular season and finished the year scoring the championship-winning goal in the 80th minute.
Lavelle's ability to turn a difficult year into a championship-winning campaign is one of a kind. Her ability to receive under pressure, carry the ball through the midfield and create attacking opportunities gives her team a different dimension in possession.
Lily Yohannes – OL Lyonnes
Though young in years, on Europe's grand stage I belong. With vision and composure, I help my team stay strong. A domestic treble and a European final in sight, who am I, the rising star shining bright?
At 19 years old, Lily Yohannes has established herself at one of Europe's biggest clubs during her first season over there. Her run with Lyonnes at the UEFA Champions League gave her the international platform needed to showcase her passing, composure in possession and ability to progress the ball.
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Yohannes's year has been certainly impressive. So much so that she not only got the nomination for the Kopa Trophy (given to the best young talent of the season), but also for the Ballon d'Or Feminin.
Besides reaching the Champions League final, the midfielder won the French domestic treble and was recognized by UEFA as the Women's Champions League Revelation of the Season.
Ann-Katrin Berger – Gotham FC
When strikers come calling, I stand in their way. I turn their celebrations into another wasted day. Clean sheets and silverware are part of my story. Who am I, the last line standing between defeat and glory?
If you want a consistent goalkeeper whose shot-stopping is world class and leads from the back, then Ann-Katrin Berger is the answer.
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It's the combination of strong individual numbers (36 matches, 24 goals conceded and 23 clean sheets) with decisive performances in high-pressure games that earned her a nomination for the Yashin Trophy.
Scarlett Camberos – Club America
Goals are my language, assists are my art. I make defenses tremble and give champions a start. From Mexico to the continent, I helped my team reign. Who am I, the attacker bringing trophies and fame?
A special mention for one of Mexico's best and brightest…
Apparently, the soccer gods had bigger and better plans for Scarlett Camberos when she wasn't drafted by an NWSL club years ago. True, that must have stung at the moment, but it led her to make history by becoming the first Mexican player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or Feminin.
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Her nomination comes after leading Club América to a treble, including a continental title, while providing exceptional production with 44 goal contributions. The forward also didn't hold back from scoring in both Mexican playoffs and the Concacaf W Champions Cup final.
Camberos's individual production and team success certainly reinforced one another. She wasn't just prolific, but delivered in decisive stages of two title-winning campaigns while bringing attention to the Mexican league and her club that, by the way, is nominated for Women's Club of the Year.
Oh, and guess what? The forward ended up playing in the NWSL for Angel City and Bay FC. Well done, Scarlett.
Lorena – KC Current
I guard the goal, where few can get through. I built a wall of records in Kansas City blue. A Shield in my hands, clean sheets by the score. Who am I, the Brazilian keeper opponents dread most?
Lorena helped Kansas City to the season of their lives in 2025, breaking records along the way. The Brazilian was chosen as the 2025 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year after recording 14 clean sheets while in goal and 690 consecutive shutout minutes (both league records).
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Her shot-stopping helped the club to a historic run, while her individual records are proof she wasn't just benefiting from a well-organized backline. At the international level, the Brazilian helped her national team to win Copa América and was pivotal in the penalty shootout stopping two attempts.
Lorena's season reflects individual brilliance that went hand-in-hand with Kansas City's success, helping set new defensive standards in the NWSL.
Temwa Chawinga – KC Current
From Malawi to the NWSL, I've conquered the game. Two MVP crowns have cemented my name. With Golden Boots and goals galore, I helped Kansas City make history once more. Who am I, the striker defenders fear? A Ballon d'Or nominee for the second year!
Temwa Chawinga is a record breaker. She became the first player in NWSL history to win the MVP and Golden Boot awards back-to-back in 2024 and 2025.
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The Malawian set the record for the fastest player to score 30 goals in the regular season, doing so in just 40 appearances. Her production last year (15 goals in 23 regular season games) not only earned her the Golden Boot but also helped drive Kansas City's historic campaign. Although they failed to win the Championship, they won the Shield and set league records with 65 points and 21 victories.
Chawinga also had a fantastic run with her national team in WAFCON, but the fact that the tournament finished after the reference window for Ballon d'Or (Aug. 3, 2025 – July 19) doesn't add to her case.
