The women’s Ballon d’Or was first awarded in 2018. Eight years later, the award has become an important marker of the growth of the women’s game, recognizing players whose achievements increasingly command global attention. Recognition, however, is not the same as equality.
Alexia Putellas has reached the top of women’s football before. Twice, in fact. But winning the Ballon d’Or for a third time carries a different weight when the road back has included an ACL injury, months of rehabilitation and the challenge of rediscovering the player you once were.
Match officials are an essential part of women’s football. As the old saying goes, “without a referee, there is no game.” However, for officiating standards to keep pace with the growing demands of the competition, referees must also be given the opportunity to continue learning, developing and refining their skills, turning officiating into a genuine full-time profession.
The Northern Super League’s international reach was on full display this October. Players from across the Canadian league traded their club colours for national-team kits, taking on everything from major qualifying campaigns to international friendlies.
Opinion piece: Women’s football has spent years arguing that it deserves more money. Now that the money is finally arriving, it is worth asking where it comes from – and what women’s football is willing to sacrifice to get it.
As the world champions meet the United States in a two-game series, the rivalry reflects a women’s game that is becoming more global, more interconnected and harder for any one nation to dominate.