The Athletic

The Ballon d’Or Feminin voting process is relatively straightforward, and, on the surface, no different from the men’s honour given out on the same night. An international jury of specialized journalists from each of the top 50 countries (100 for the men’s award) in the FIFA rankings as of Sept. 8, 2026, determine the best women’s player based on criteria comprised of three principles, in descending order of importance: individual performances, decisive and impressive character; team performance

This article is part of The Athletic’s series marking UK Black History Month. To view the whole collection, click here. The trailblazers. The groundbreakers. The icons. To mark UK Black History Month, our writers have shone a spotlight on the Black British women that have carried the flame for generations that look like them and inspired people of all backgrounds around the world. Some are those that took the tentative first steps for Black British women in the sport. Others are household names

One week remains in the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League season and the Shield, one more spot in the playoffs and quarterfinal hosting privileges are all still at stake heading into Decision Day next Sunday. It is the perfect time for eight simultaneous games across ESPN properties at 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 1 because most of the U.S. will also get an extra hour of sleep. While the Portland Thorns’ 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage on Friday helped clinch not only their own playoff berth