Arsenal Women at the Ballon D’Or

Arsenal Women were nominated for a number of awards at this year’s Ballon D’Or ceremony in Paris. Having won the Champions League last season, as well as containing six players who won the Euros with England this summer, a lot of Arsenal players were well placed in the rankings, with Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo among the favourites to win the award.

Arsenal were voted Women’s Club of the Year. Earlier in the day we had confirmation that Steph Catley (29), Frida Maanum (27) and Emily Fox (25) had finished in the top 30 places, leaving four Gunners to take their places in the top 10.

Leah Williamson, who captained England to another Euros triumph as well as winning the Champions League, finished 7th, Chloe Kelly, who slotted the winning penalty for England in the final, finished 5th, with Alessia Russo, who won the Champions League and scored in the Euros final, in 3rd.

That left Mariona Caldentey and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati to fight it out for the top prize. Mariona matched Beth Mead’s achievement in 2022 of finishing 2nd while Bonmati scooped the prize. The mood around women’s football was one of surprise given that Mariona left Barcelona to test herself in a new league and immediately won PFA Player of the Season, Barclays WSL Player of the Season and won a third consecutive Champions League title- this one with a different club.

Both Mariona and Bonmati were key parts of the Spain squad who lost the Euros Final to England on penalties. Daphne van Domselaar finished 5th in the Yacine trophy for best women’s goalkeeper, which also seemed a little bizarre, Michelle Agyameng finished 4th in the Women’s Kopa Trophy.

Congratulations to all the Arsenal players who were recognised and to the club for winning best women’s club.

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