In full expansion, women’s football is in the process of structuring itself by imitating its male counterpart. This is why the discipline sets up numerous competitions and awards, such as the Ballon d’Or, to reward athletes.
As the 2022 Women’s Football Euro approaches, sport has never experienced such enthusiasm. The competition will mark a real turning point for the discipline, both for football fans than for athletes. Indeed, in addition to being particularly followed, this international event can transform the career of any player. All eyes will be on the most successful footballers of the moment, in search of a historic European title. But that’s not all ! Euro 2022 is also a competition that will have a very important weight for nominate the next winner of the Ballon d’Or. Yes, as with men, high-level meetings and major competitions are particularly important indicators for awarding the title of best player of the year.
If for men this distinction was created in 1956 by the magazine France Soccerthe Women’s Golden Ball is much more recent. It was only in 2018 that the first prize was awarded, 62 years after the first male award. Obviously, the arrival of this new trophy has confirmed the excellent dynamic in which women’s football currently finds itself. Especially since it made it possible to promote sports who were just waiting for this. “I have always wanted to see a woman win this prestigious award”announced Marta, Brazilian legend of women’s football, at France Soccerbefore concluding : “It is a step towards more equality to see such a rewardso important in the world of football, also be awarded to female players.”
Women’s Golden Ball: who are the winners?
For now, the Women’s Golden Ball has only allowed three footballers to rise to the top of the world. The first one, Ada HegerbergLyon striker, who was rewarded in 2018. She preceded the indisputable victory of Megan Rapinoe, in 2019, after a world Cup and an extraordinary media influence. Finally, it was only in 2021 that the third Ballon d’Or was named, because the conditions of 2020, due to the pandemic, did not allow a winner to be designated. It was therefore Alexia Putellas, FC Barcelona player, who was the last to win this historic trophy. For now, it is still too early to designate the contenders for the Ballon d’Or 2022. We will have to wait until the end of the Euro to see a few names stand out.