By OkayGoal 
The 2025 Ballon d’Or Féminin is quickly approaching, and this year feels more competitive than previous editions. While in recent years it was easy to predict who would go home with the trophy, this year is different. There are several serious contenders and not just one that everyone predicts to win. The shortlist released in August reflected players’ hard work throughout the season, along with the awards each team managed to win. After Arsenal’s excellent season, they deserved to have their top players included in the list. Barcelona is also there as usual, but their players now have to share the ‘who will win?’ conversation with others. No matter who wins, the 2025 Ballon d’Or Féminin is one to watch.
Who Is Going to Win the 2025 Ballon d’Or Féminin?
Currently, the top four names that are considered as serious contenders come from Arsenal and Barcelona. Arsenal has Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey. On the other hand, Barcelona has Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas. Here is why these four players are the top contenders to take home the award.
Alessia Russo’s Great Season
Many reasons make Alessia Russo one of the top contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Her 2024-2025 season had everything a player could ask for. She finished the season as Arsenal’s top goalscorer with 20 goals in all competitions. Twelve of those were in the WSL, which tied her for the WSL Golden Boot with Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw.
Russo also scored eight goals in the Women’s Champions League, making her one of the tournament’s top scorers. It wasn’t just her goals in the Champions League that mattered, but also her performance as a whole. Russo was one of Arsenal’s most important players during last season. She was one of the driving forces that led Arsenal to the final and helped them lift the trophy. This showed how she can perform not only in the WSL but in one of the world’s premier tournaments as well.
Russo also deserves to win the award because of her performance with England. She played an important role for them during the 2025 Women’s Euro. Her goal-scoring gave England the equalizer in the final against Spain. She also received awards highlighting the great season she had. According to SkySports, Russo was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. Her numbers and awards with Arsenal and England, along with her individual performance, make it clear why she is a strong contender.
Mariona Caldentey Can’t Be Ignored
Another great contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or is another player from Arsenal. Mariona Caldentey left her impact from the moment she joined the team after leaving Barcelona. She scored nine goals in the WSL for her new team and went on to score eight goals in the Champions League. She also had nine assists across all competitions. Just like Russo, Caldentey was essential for Arsenal in their European run. Her 19 goals across all competitions, along with her being a great addition to Arsenal, led her to be named the 2024/25 PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year.
Caldentey was also impressive when it came to her time with Spain during the last season. She helped them reach the final in the 2025 Women’s Euro, and she even scored the opening goal during the match. Though Spain didn’t secure the title, Caldentey still had a great year for club and country. She has the goals, the assists, and also the title of a Champions League winner. All of this happening during her first season with Arsenal can sway the 2025 Ballon d’Or votes for her side.
Aitana Bonmatí’s Favorite Award
It’s not a surprise to see Aitana Bonmatí back on the list for top contenders for the Ballon d’Or. After all, she is one of the best players in the world. Bonmatí had already won it in 2023 and 2024, and she would certainly look forward to achieving a three-peat. Bonmatí’s influence on Barcelona has always been clear, whether she scores or not. This is the same case when she plays for Spain.
In Liga F’s last season, Bonmatí scored 12 goals, which played a role in Barcelona winning the league; this is a title that Russo and Caldentey didn’t achieve with Arsenal in the last season. Her stats as a midfielder are still good. In the Champions League, she had four goals and five assists under her name. This great run might not have ended with her lifting the trophy, but she received the 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League Player of the Season.
Bonmatí made a difference for Spain despite them not winning the Euro. She missed two games while she was recovering from viral meningitis, and people thought that she wouldn’t play the tournament. Bonmatí, however, made a comeback. She ended up being named UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Player of the Tournament. While she has the goals and has received two prestigious awards, Russo and Caldentey have an edge over her. Both of them won the Champions League with Arsenal, and Russo won the 2025 Euro.
Alexia Putellas is in The Race
Alexia Putellas is another possible winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Just like Bonmatí, Putellas is familiar with the award since she won it twice in 2021 and 2022. Last season, Putellas had better numbers than Bonmatí when it comes to Liga F. She tallied 16 goals for Barcelona and registered 11 assists, putting her in first place when it comes to assists. Barcelona’s captain had a great season with both club and country on the individual side. She was essential to both, even if she didn’t win all the awards. Despite her numbers, Putellas might be behind Russo and Caldentey when it comes to the chances of winning the award.
Who Is Less Likely to Win the 2025 Ballon d’Or
Aside from the top contenders for the award, some players made the shortlist but probably won’t win. Two players who had a great season are Arsenal’s Leah Williamson and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton. They made the difference in a lot of matches for their teams and England as well. Unfortunately, with Williamson being a defender and Hampton being a goalkeeper, their chances of winning aren’t high. Defenders and goalkeepers aren’t usually strong contenders for the Ballon d’Or, even if they performed their best. The award usually goes to those with a lot of goals and assists next to their names. Even if Williamson and Hampton might not win, they still earned their nominations.
Who Should Have Been in The Conversation
While the shortlist includes amazing players who deserve their place, we can also consider some players who should’ve been included. One of these players is Manchester City’s Mary Fowler. Before her ACL injury, Fowler was on her way to having a great season. She had six goals and seven assists, and they would have definitely been more if it weren’t for her season ending early. She still managed to be selected for the 2024/25 PFA WSL Team of the Year.
Another player who had a good season is San Diego Wave’s newest star, Delphine Cascarino. Cascarino managed to score three goals and have five assists, but she also had great statistics on her side. Her accurate passing percentage in the NWSL was 79% with 567 accurate passes. While her tackle percentage was 72%. Perhaps we would see her in next year’s shortlist, especially if her statistics improve even more.
Ona Batlle also had a good season with Barcelona despite being a full-back. She didn’t just contribute to the Spanish side’s defense, but she also played an attacking role. During last season, she scored four goals and won several awards with the club, including Copa de la Reina, Spanish Super Cup, and Liga F. Balancing between attack and defense isn’t easy to do, but Batlle managed to do it.
A lot of Chelsea fans also argued that Erin Cuthbert deserved a 2025 Ballon d’Or nomination. She had a great season with the club, earning a spot in the PFA’s Team of the Season. She was even named as Chelsea’s Player of the Year. Cuthbert, however, didn’t share fans’ claim that she had a great season. “I had a good season, but I don’t think I had a great season. I just maybe cropped up in the right moments at the right times to produce some big moments,” she told SkySports. Her influence is still undeniable.
Finally, OL Lyonnes’ Kadidiatou Diani was another player who had an excellent season. In the league, she managed to score nine goals and registered five assists. On the other hand, she had six goals and four assists in the Champions League.
Arsenal Might Take the 2025 Ballon d’Or Home
When looking at statistics and awards, it seems like the conversation of who will win the 2025 Ballon d’Or comes between Arsenal’s Russo and Caldentey. Russo might have a better chance than Caldentey, since she won the 2025 Euro. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t a close race between the two teammates. Bonmatí and Putellas also had a great season, but they might not be as lucky this year. Taking everything into consideration, the race for this year’s Ballon d’Or is one of the best.
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