- Published
When the Ballon d'Or for best female footballer is dished out on Monday night, the chances are it will be a familiar figure that lifts the coveted trophy.
Spanish icons Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas have hoovered up the past five awards - and Putellas is favourite to win it for a third time.
In May, the now London City Lionesses forward captained Barcelona to a quadruple, including a third Champions League trophy in four years and their seventh straight Liga F title.
Arguably, the only reason Bonmati is not in the running this time is because of a serious leg injury suffered on international duty in November 2025.
So will Putellas clean up once again? Is this trophy yet another example of Spain's increasing dominance of the women's game?
Or does anyone else on the 30-strong shortlist stand a chance of wrenching it from her grasp?
Why have Spain ruled this trophy?
The reasons are obvious.
In Barcelona, Spain boast the world's most dominant club side.
The Catalans have contested seven of the past eight Champions League finals (winning four) and have been domestic champions every year since 2019-20, clinching the title by an average of 15 points above second place in that time.
Then, there is the national team. World champions in 2023, losing finalists at the Euros to England in 2025 and then winners of the Nations League last December, beating Germany in the final.
At the heart of all this success has been Putellas, who scored 21 goals and produced 13 assists during Barcelona's sensational season.
And it is not just her output that makes her case. Her all-round influence captaining an already stellar side cannot be overstated.
So, with 38 trophies in her possession already, the 2021 and 2022 Ballon d'Or winner appears poised to take it once again.
"Give it to her!" Spanish football expert Guillem Balague told BBC Sport. "Along with Marta, she is the best player in history. No doubt she was the best player in this campaign – and she won everything!"
Unsurprisingly, Spain have more players on the shortlist than any other nation (six) and eight of the starting line-up from the Champions League final are in the running for this award.
Among them are star striker Claudia Pina, who recently scored four against Real Madrid, goalkeeper Cata Coll and midfielder Patri Guijarro.
Who could topple the favourite?
While Putellas is now tormenting Women's Super League defences in the blue of London City, it is another forward in this country that perhaps has the best case for consideration.
Khadija Shaw scored 21 goals in the league last season to fire Manchester City to their first title in a decade, adding another five in the FA Cup as they completed the double.
The Jamaica striker has been the WSL's top scorer for the past three seasons, scored 90 goals since her arrival in summer 2021 and was rewarded with a lucrative four-year deal in June.
"We haven't had a major tournament but there are some amazing players on the list," said former England international Ellen White. "I would love to see Shaw up there - brilliant goalscoring."
Shaw is part of a five-strong City contingent – they had none last season – but they all may fall short because they did not play in last season's Champions League.
Arsenal's Alessia Russo was second to Shaw for goals last season and impressed in the Champions League, picking up nine goals.
Last year, she came third in the Ballon d'Or voting last year behind Bonmati and club team-mate Mariona Caldentey.
That came off the back of the Gunners' Champions League victory in May 2025. Exiting in the semi-finals to Lyon this year may cost her a shot at winning the award this year.
One final candidate to break the Spanish stranglehold is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a Barcelona player. Poland's Ewa Pajor scored 11 goals in just 10 Champions League games last season, including a hat-trick in the final against Lyon.
The 29-year-old won the Women's Gerd Muller trophy for top scorer last season and finished eighth in the overall rankings.
Maybe it is her turn to take home the top prize.
Russo and Greenwood nominated for Ballon d'Or
- Published8 September
What is the voting process - and why has it been controversial?
The award covers the period from 3 August 2025 until 19 July 2026 and is based on individual performances, collective performances and fair play.
Selected international journalists – one from each nation in the top 50 of the Fifa world rankings - rank their top 10 candidates, with points distributed on a descending scale.
The Ballon d'Or is then awarded to the player with the highest total number of points.
In previous seasons, the ceremony has come under fire for being too Euro-centric and for its scheduling during international breaks in the women's game.
This year, the event is taking place during the domestic calendar, solving the date issue. However, the lack of US-based players from the National Women's Super League (NWSL) remains a fair criticism.
One reason for this may be that the NWSL season runs from February to November and therefore does not marry with the dates this award covers.
It means the likes of Washington Spirit's Trinity Rodman are notable absentees from a list purported to chart the world's best players.