Melchie Dumornay tops Guardian’s 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or power rankings
The OL Lyonnes midfielder leads a provisional list that also puts Ewa Pajor and Khadija Shaw in the top three. The award will be presented in London on 26 October.
Melchie Dumornay leads the Guardian’s 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or power rankings, published on 1 October, ahead of Ewa Pajor and Khadija Shaw. The list assesses contenders for the award to be presented in London on 26 October; it is the newspaper’s provisional judgment, not the result of the vote.
The ordering puts performances across several competitions into focus. The Guardian credits Dumornay’s influence on OL Lyonnes’ domestic treble, while Pajor’s Champions League final goals and Shaw’s scoring record for Manchester City give the next two players distinct cases. None of those achievements establishes how award voters will rank them.
Why Melchie Dumornay leads the Guardian ranking
Dumornay, the Haiti midfielder, helped OL Lyonnes win a domestic treble and was named player of the year by the French players’ union, according to the Guardian. She also scored five goals during Lyonnes’ Champions League campaign and made the competition’s team of the tournament. Those contributions underpin the newspaper’s decision to place her first.
The Guardian points in particular to Lyonnes’ semi-final against Arsenal. Dumornay missed a 2-1 first-leg defeat through injury, then returned for the second leg and delivered what the newspaper describes as a player-of-the-match performance in a 3-1 win. Lyonnes reached the final but lost 4-0 to Barcelona, so the top-ranked player on this list did not finish the European season with the trophy.
The cases for Ewa Pajor and Khadija Shaw
Pajor, the Barcelona and Poland forward ranked second, scored twice in that 4-0 Champions League final, according to the Guardian. Her 11 goals in the European competition were the only double-figure tally reported in the ranking for last season. She also scored 16 goals in Liga F, although Barcelona teammate Claudia Pina scored more in the league, with 21.
Shaw is third after scoring 21 goals in 22 league games for Manchester City, the Guardian reports. City won a league and FA Cup double, and the Jamaica striker received player-of-the-year awards from both the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Writers’ Association. The Guardian also highlights her contribution beyond scoring, including her hold-up play, defensive work and vision.
The three leading places therefore reflect different strengths in the Guardian’s assessment: Dumornay’s midfield influence and domestic titles, Pajor’s decisive goals in Europe, and Shaw’s league output and individual awards. That comparison explains the newspaper’s ranking; it does not disclose the preferences of the Ballon d’Or electorate.
Who else is in the top ten?
Alexia Putellas is fourth after her final season at Barcelona, where the club won a quadruple. The Guardian credits her with seven Champions League goals, plus nine goals and seven assists in Liga F. Putellas moved to London City Lionesses in July, so the season being assessed spans a change of club rather than a full campaign with her current side.
Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa is fifth. The Guardian cites her role in City’s double and Japan’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup win. Arsenal forward Alessia Russo follows in sixth, with her selection for the PFA team of the year among the achievements the newspaper highlights. Those positions also show that the ranking extends beyond the most prolific scorers.
Temwa Chawinga is seventh. The Guardian reports that the Kansas City Current forward scored 15 goals in the National Women’s Soccer League and won its top-scorer and most valuable player awards for a second consecutive season. It also credits her with helping Malawi reach its first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final and first World Cup.
Two Barcelona players occupy the next places: Pina is eighth after scoring 21 Liga F goals and supplying five assists, while midfielder Patri Guijarro is ninth after playing an important part in the club’s quadruple, according to the Guardian. Barbra Banda of Orlando Pride and Zambia completes the newspaper’s top ten; its account credits her with five goals at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
When the Women’s Ballon d’Or winner will be known
UEFA says the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the London Palladium Theatre on Monday 26 October. The women’s and men’s Ballon d’Or are among its award categories. France Football and UEFA co-organise the awards, and UEFA describes this edition as the 70th anniversary of the prize.
The Guardian’s article names 30 players in all, but its order is an editorial assessment ahead of that ceremony. The available accounts do not establish a voting breakdown or show how voters will weigh domestic, European and international performances. Until the award is announced, Dumornay’s first place is a position in the Guardian’s ranking, not a Ballon d’Or win.
Sources and context
- Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026 power rankings: will a new winner be crowned?The Guardian
- Nominees announced for 2026 Ballon d’Or awardsUEFA
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