Alexia Putellas wins third Women’s Ballon d’Or as Khadija Shaw finishes third.
Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas has won the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, claiming the award for a third time after helping Barcelona win the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Jamaica and Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw finished third, while Poland’s Ewa Pajor was runner-up.
LONDON — Alexia Putellas has secured her third Women’s Ballon d’Or following another outstanding season in European football.
The 32-year-old Spanish midfielder received the award at Monday’s ceremony in London, adding to her previous victories in 2021 and 2022. Putellas finished ahead of Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor and Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw.
Her victory came after a successful final season at Barcelona before her move to London City Lionesses ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Why did Putellas win?
Putellas was a central figure in Barcelona’s successful 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign. She scored seven goals and provided seven assists in the competition.
She was named the Women’s Champions League Player of the Season. The Spanish international also contributed to Spain’s 2025 UEFA Women’s Nations League success. Her performances combined attacking production with creativity and midfield influence.
Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026: Official top 10
Interactive: explore the women’s top 10
Filter the supplied rankings by country or select a player to view her position.
| Rank | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexia Putellas | Spain |
| 2 | Ewa Pajor | Poland |
| 3 | Khadija Shaw | Jamaica |
| 4 | Melchie Dumornay | Haiti |
| 5 | Patri Guijarro | Spain |
| 6 | Caroline Graham Hansen | Norway |
| 7 | Pernille Harder | Denmark |
| 8 | Clàudia Pina | Spain |
| 9 | Alessia Russo | England |
| 10 | Temwa Chawinga | Malawi |
Showing all 10 players.
Alexia Putellas
Rank: 1 | Country: Spain
Source attribution: UEFA, 26 October 2026.
Top-10 representation by country
Calculated from the supplied list of ten players. The chart measures representation within this ranking, not the overall strength of national football systems.
African football represented in the top 10
Malawi forward Temwa Chawinga finished tenth in the women’s ranking.
Her inclusion gives African women’s football representation among the ten highest-ranked players.
The list also includes two Caribbean players, Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw and Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay.
Their positions demonstrate the international breadth of talent competing at the highest level of women’s football.
However, the ranking alone does not measure the strength of national development systems or domestic women’s leagues.
Malawi | 10th place
Jamaica | 3rd place
Haiti | 4th place
Barcelona dominates the women’s awards
Barcelona’s achievements extended beyond Putellas.
The club was named Women’s Club of the Year following its successful 2025/26 campaign.
Pere Romeu received the Women’s Coach of the Year award.
Vicky López won the Women’s Young Talent of the Year award, while Cata Coll received the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year prize.
UEFA reported that Coll recorded 23 clean sheets in 39 appearances for club and country during the relevant period.
Interactive: Barcelona’s reported award winners
Select an award to view the recipient or club named in the supplied article.
Alexia Putellas
Women’s Ballon d’Or winner, according to the supplied results.
Across 39 appearances for club and country
23 ÷ 39 = approximately 59.0% of appearances with a clean sheet. This is a simple ratio, not a measure of individual goalkeeping ability.
What does a third Ballon d’Or mean?
Putellas joins a select group of players to have won the women’s award multiple times.
Her latest victory reflects her ability to return to the highest level of the game and remain influential across major competitions.
For African football, the presence of Temwa Chawinga in the top 10 provides another point of interest.
The challenge for African women’s football is to develop the infrastructure, professional opportunities and competitive pathways needed to support more players at that level.
Those issues require investment and measurable development outcomes, not simply recognition at international awards ceremonies.
Putellas’ third Ballon d’Or confirms her place among the defining players of her generation, while the top-10 ranking highlights the increasingly international competition for women’s football’s leading individual prize.
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