The prestigious Ballon d’Or gala, set for Monday, Oct. 28, will crown the seventh winner of the women’s award in the history of the prize. Barcelona have five candidates in the running, including two-time winner <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/alexia-putellas">Alexia Putellas</a>, who shared her thoughts on who should take home the honor this year.



“Who will win the Ballon d’Or? Honestly, I hope it’s someone from my team. It’s between Caro [Graham Hansen] and Aitana [Bonmatí]. Both had an amazing year, and I hope the award stays in Barcelona,” Putellas told Cadena SER.



Putellas, the player with the most Women’s Ballon d’Or titles (2021 and 2022), has helped make <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/barcelona">Barcelona</a> the club with the most winners of the coveted prize. After Bonmati’s triumph last year, the Catalan club could extend their dominance as both Bonmatí and Graham Hansen are among the top contenders once again.



Barcelona had an outstanding season, winning all four trophies available, including Liga F and the 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Champions League. In the latter, they defeated Lyon in the final with goals from <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/aitana-bonmati">Bonmati</a> and Putellas. Bonmatí also scored in the semifinals and was named Champions League MVP.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20241025_BUS_259284_caroline-aitana-1024x576_33bee900.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="caroline and aitana" class="wp-image-259294" srcset="https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana-740x416.jpg 740w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana-490x275.jpg 490w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana-250x140.jpg 250w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/caroline-aitana.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>L-R: Aitana Bonmatí and Caroline Graham Hansen (David Ramos/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Meanwhile, Graham Hansen was the top scorer in Liga F, notching 21 goals and 19 assists. Across all competitions, she amassed 32 goals and 29 assists in 40 matches, earning MVP honors in seven games, including the Supercup final.


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<h2>Who else from Barcelona is in contention?</h2>



Patri Guijarro and Salma Paralluelo join Putellas, Bonmatí, and Graham Hansen as Barcelona’s other nominees for the Ballon d’Or. Additionally, new signing Ewa Pajor, who arrived from Wolfsburg this summer, is also in the race for the award.



<h2>Other top contenders for the award</h2>



While Barcelona has dominated in European club football, international performances will also factor into the decision. The Olympic Games could play a role, making players like Sophia Smith—crucial to the USWNT’s gold medal run—a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or.

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas reveals her favorite for the Women’s Ballon d’Or

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas reveals her favorite for the Women’s Ballon d’Or - Bolavip US

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<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/barcelona">Barcelona</a> have announced that 2023 Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati has signed a new four-year contract, extending her stay at the club until 2028. Reports from Spanish media, such as La Tribuna, suggest her new salary could be between €750,000 and €1 million annually.



ESPN reports that top earners in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Women’s Super League (WSL) typically make between €400,000 and €600,000 annually, though salaries in women’s football aren’t publicly disclosed.



<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/aitana-bonmati">Bonmati</a>‘s release clause is now considered nearly impossible to meet, although the exact figure remains undisclosed. With her previous deal set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season, she received offers from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.



Cristian Martín, Bonmatí’s agent, revealed that Chelsea were prepared to pay the €3 million ($3.3 million) release clause in her previous contract, along with offering a salary of around €2 million annually. Bonmatí’s renewal was a key priority for Barcelona, who had already secured the extension of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20240916_BUS_235832_aitana-bonmati-barcelona-1024x576_6aebfe72.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="barcelona" class="wp-image-235891" srcset="https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/aitana-bonmati-barcelona-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/aitana-bonmati-barcelona-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/aitana-bonmati-barcelona-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/aitana-bonmati-barcelona-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/aitana-bonmati-barcelona.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Aitana Bonmati is one of Barcelona’s key players (David Ramos/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Bonmatí has made over 250 appearances for Barça’s first team, winning five league titles, three Champions Leagues, and helping Spain capture the Women’s World Cup and UEFA Women’s Nations League.



<h2>Barcelona rejects offer for Keira Walsh</h2>



In the past few years, Barcelona have become one of the most successful teams in women’s soccer thanks to signing talented players. The Catalans also rejected another important offer from Arsenal for Keira Walsh.


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According to the Spanish program La Transmissió de la Gelmà, the Gooners wanted the England midfielder for a record-breaking offer of 1.1 million euros plus variables, a transfer figure never seen in the women’s market.

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Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati becomes highest-paid female soccer player: Her reported salary - Bolavip US

The 30 nominees for the Women’s Ballon D’Or have been announced and Barcelona’s players, including last year’s winner <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/aitana-bonmati">Aitana Bonmatí</a>, could extend the club’s winning run in the trophy’s history.



The Women’s Ballon d’Or, which was first awarded in 2018, is a relatively new trophy, but it has quickly become a coveted one as the women’s game reaches new heights. In this short time, <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/barcelona">Barcelona</a> has also become the reigning club.



Bonmati’s win last year’s win, combined with <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/alexia-putellas">Alexia Putellas</a>’ previous two wins (2021 and 2022), make Barcelona the club with the most Women’s Ballon D’Or with three. This year, the Blaugranas have several candidates to lift the prize: Patri Guijarro, Caroline Graham Hansen, Salma Paralluelo, Putellas, and Bonmati. Meanwhile, Ewa Pajor, who joined the club from Wolfsburg this summer, is also nominated. 



The Spanish club won all four trophies available to them, including Liga F and the 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Champions League. In the latter, they defeated Lyon in the final. However, as Spain didn’t win a medal at the Olympics, there are other players that could also win the Ballon d’Or.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20240904_BUS_229169_salma-paralluelo-1024x576_e800c7a5.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="" class="wp-image-229179" srcset="https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/salma-paralluelo-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/salma-paralluelo-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/salma-paralluelo-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/salma-paralluelo-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/salma-paralluelo.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Salma Paralluelo was, alongside Aitana Bonmatí, Barcelona’s top scorer at the Champions League (Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



One of them could be Sophia Smith, who played a key role in the USWNT’s Olympic triumph, as well as being also key for NWSL’s Portland Thorns. However, as the NWSL is in the middle of the season, this could be a handicap.



<h2>When is the Ballon D’or ceremony?</h2>



The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday, October 28. For only the third time in the award’s history, it will be determined based on the results of the season rather than the calendar year. This period spans from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.


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<h2>Complete list of nominees to the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or</h2>



Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona) Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) Tarciane (Houston Dash) Lauren Hemp (Manchester City) Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit) Ada Hegerberg (Lyon) Manuela Giugliano (Roma) Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars) Glodis Viggosdottir (Bayern Munich) Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal) Lauren James (Chelsea) Lea Schuller (Bayern Munich) Patri Guijarro (Barcelona) Gabi Portilho (Corinthians) Tabitha Chawinga (Paris Saint-Germain) Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona) Lindsey Horan (Lyon) Sjoeke Nusken (Chelsea) Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City) Lucy Bronze (Chelsea) Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona) Giulia Gwinn (Bayern Munich) Khadija Shaw (Manchester City) Grace Geyoro (Paris Saint-Germain) Alexia Putellas (Barcelona) Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns) Ewa Pajor (Barcelona) Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) Mayra Ramirez (Chelsea) Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women's Ballon d’Or 2024: Aitana Bonmatí and Barcelona’s other nominees aim to extend club’s historic run

Women's Ballon d’Or 2024: Aitana Bonmatí and Barcelona’s other nominees aim to extend club’s historic run - Bolavip US

A week ago, the&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/soccer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soccer</a>&nbsp;world was expecting&nbsp;Luis Rubiales&nbsp;to confirm his resignation as president of the&nbsp;Spanish Football Federation. Media outlets and journalists reported that sources within the organization had received news that Rubiales would step down following the controversial kiss he gave to&nbsp;Jenni Hermoso&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/womens-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Women’s World Cup</a>&nbsp;final.



However,&nbsp;Luis Rubiales&nbsp;shocked everyone with a defiant press conference in which he justified his actions and delivered the phrase that made headlines:&nbsp;“I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign.”&nbsp;He repeated it three times, and somewhat shockingly, some people applauded him at the event.


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Luis Rubiales’ words sparked outrage in&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/spain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spain</a>&nbsp;to the extent that several female and male players are considering leaving the national team as a demonstration of support for&nbsp;<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/jenni-hermoso">Jenni Hermoso</a>. Today, during the 2022-2023 UEFA awards ceremony in Monaco, Aitana Bonmati had enough of the situation.



<h2>Aitana Bonmati fed up with Luis Rubiales after Jenni Hermoso’s kiss</h2>



Aitana Bonmati, one of the best players of Spain’s national team at the 2023 World Cup, exploded against Luis Rubiales when she received the Women’s Player of the Year award from UEFA. The shocking episode was seen worldwide during the ceremony. 







“We have just won the World Cup, but not much is said about it because of things that shouldn’t have happened. As a society, we should not allow abuse of power and disrespect in a working relationship. I support Jenni and as women we will fight our best to prevent this from happening again.”



As a consequence of Luis Rubiales’ controversial statement, the government in&nbsp;Spain&nbsp;has already initiated a legal process and FIFA suspended him three months launching an investigation. Despite this, the executive showed a challenging attitude in front of the media. 



“Is it so serious that I should leave, having overseen the best management in the history of Spanish football? Do you all think I should resign? Well, I’ll tell you something. I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign. And let me tell you more, I have faced a lot of pressure.”


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Furthermore, in the moment which outraged the world,&nbsp;Luis Rubiales&nbsp;explained what happened with the controversial kiss to&nbsp;Jenni Hermoso.&nbsp;“I want to apologize unreservedly. She was the one who lifted me up and brought me close to her body. And I said to her, ‘a little peck?’ and she said to me, ‘okay’.”

Aitana Bonmati

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UEFA Player of the Year winner Aitana Bonmati accuses Luis Rubiales of abuse of power