FIFA Ballon d'Or Féminin

FIFA Ballon d'Or Féminin
Name	FIFA Ballon d'Or Féminin
Awarded for	Outstanding performance in women's association football
Presenter	FIFA, France Football
Country	Switzerland
First awarded	2010
Last awarded	2015
Predecessor	FIFA Women's World Player of the Year
Successor	The Best FIFA Women's Player

FIFA Ballon d'Or Féminin was an annual award presented jointly by FIFA and France Football from 2010 to 2015 to the outstanding female association football player. The prize combined the heritage of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year brands and recognized performances at club competitions such as the UEFA Women's Champions League, FA Women's Super League, and NWSL, as well as international tournaments like the FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic women's football tournament. Winners were selected through a voting process involving national team coaches, national team captains, and selected journalists representing UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, and OFC.

History

The merger that created the award followed negotiations between FIFA and France Football after the long-running FIFA Women's World Player of the Year and the men's Ballon d'Or traditions converged. The combined ceremony mirrored earlier cooperative events such as the reunification of the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year for men. High-profile global venues included ceremonies in Zurich that featured figures from Sepp Blatter's administration and editorial teams from France Football, alongside ambassadors like Marta and Abby Wambach. The period encompassed landmark tournaments including the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, which influenced nominee selections and voting patterns.

Award Criteria and Voting

Eligibility criteria required players to demonstrate excellence for club and country during the calendar year, with emphasis on performances in competitions such as the UEFA Women's Champions League, Copa Libertadores Femenina, and continental championships like the UEFA Women's Championship and CONCACAF Women's Championship. Voting involved three groups: national team coaches, national team captains, and selected journalists from outlets including L'Équipe, The Guardian, and ESPN. Each voter submitted ranked lists; points were allocated to determine the winner, echoing methods used for the Ballon d'Or and the former FIFA World Player of the Year. Administratively, the process was overseen by FIFA's Football Committee with eligibility checks by FIFA's technical panels and input from confederations such as UEFA and AFC.

Winners and Nominees

Winners included prominent figures from different confederations; recipients such as Marta and Carli Lloyd were celebrated alongside nominees like Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Christine Sinclair, Hope Solo, Homare Sawa, Birgit Prinz, Nadine Angerer, Abby Wambach, Wendie Renard, Lotus Mattheij, Louisa Nécib, Ada Hegerberg, Dzsenifer Marozsán, Irene Paredes, Fran Kirby, Sam Kerr, Saki Kumagai, Formiga, Sonia Bompastor, Eugenie Le Sommer, and Julie Johnston. Nominee lists frequently reflected performances in the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup squads, as well as domestic league standouts from Arsenal W.F.C., Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, FC Barcelona Femení, Portland Thorns FC, and Chicago Red Stars.

Impact and Reception

The award raised the profile of women's football by linking it to the long-established Ballon d'Or brand and leveraging media partnerships with outlets such as Canal+, TF1, BBC Sport, and Fox Sports. National team players from United States women's national soccer team, Brazil women's national football team, Germany women's national football team, Japan women's national football team, and Norway women's national football team gained additional global recognition. Football clubs including Olympique Lyonnais, Manchester City W.F.C., and Chelsea F.C. Women used recipients' profiles for marketing and sponsorship deals with corporations like Adidas, Nike, and Puma. Critics in publications such as The New York Times and The Guardian noted the award's role in promoting gender parity debates alongside initiatives by UEFA and national associations.

Controversies

Controversies mirrored disputes in men's awards, involving claims about voting transparency, regional bias favoring UEFA players, and the influence of club visibility in high-profile leagues like the FA WSL and NWSL. Debates emerged over the relative weighting of international tournaments (e.g., FIFA Women's World Cup, Olympic women's football tournament) versus club seasons in the UEFA Women's Champions League. High-profile omissions and surprising shortlist placements prompted commentary from former winners such as Marta and administrators including Michel Platini and Gianni Infantino. Questions were raised about conflicts of interest among some voters drawn from federations like CONMEBOL and CONCACAF.

Legacy and Succession

After 2015 the award was discontinued as a joint entity and succeeded organizationally and nominally by The Best FIFA Football Awards and its women's category, The Best FIFA Women's Player, restoring a separate FIFA-managed prize. The historical run of the FIFA Ballon d'Or Féminin helped accelerate recognition that fed into expanded competitions such as the UEFA Women's Champions League professionalization, the growth of the FA Women's Super League, and the commercial rise of leagues like National Women's Soccer League. Its legacy is visible in hallmarks of modern women's football accolades, influencing selections for the IFFHS World's Best Woman Player and various national football halls of fame, and contributing to broader policy shifts promoted by FIFA and UEFA regarding investment in women's tournaments.

Category:Association football trophies and awards