The ceremony marked the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, organised by France Football magazine to recognise outstanding individual performances and achievements across the previous season. This year’s event was held in London in honour of Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner of the award in 1956.
Two of Chelsea’s summer arrivals, Melvine Malard and Manaka Matsukubo, were among the nominees for the Women’s Ballon d’Or following their performances over the past season.
Malard, who joined Chelsea from Manchester United in July, finished 28th in the final voting after making a promising start to her career at Stamford Bridge. Japanese midfielder Matsukubo secured 22nd place in the rankings.
The Women’s Ballon d’Or was awarded to Spanish international Alexia Putellas, adding another major individual honour to her already impressive career.
Meanwhile, Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was among the nominees for the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, having won the prize in the previous edition. However, the award went to Barcelona and Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll this time around.
The presence of five Chelsea players at the London ceremony highlighted the club’s representation among the leading names in women’s football, with several Blues stars receiving recognition on the international stage.
Although Malard, Matsukubo and Hampton did not take home the awards they were nominated for, their nominations reflected their standing in the game as Chelsea continue to build a squad capable of competing for major honours.
Source: France Football / Ballon d’Or ceremony details
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