Spain has claimed six of the eight women’s Ballon d’Or awards, all through two midfielders. Alexia Putellas’ third victory in 2026 brought her level with Aitana Bonmatí. Between them, they’ve kept the trophy in Spanish hands for six consecutive editions, leaving Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe as the only other winners.
Barcelona’s share is almost as commanding, with five wins through Putellas and Bonmatí. Putellas received her latest award after her departure from Barcelona for London City Lionesses.
The women’s prize began in 2018 with Hegerberg, the Norwegian forward at Lyon. Rapinoe followed a year later as a Reign FC player after helping the United States win the World Cup. She left that tournament with both the Golden Ball, for its best player, and the Golden Boot, for its leading scorer.
No award was presented in 2020. When the ceremony returned, Putellas won in 2021 and 2022, becoming the first woman to retain the trophy. Bonmatí then took over with wins in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Putellas has matched her career total, but Bonmatí remains the only woman to win three straight.
Women’s Ballon d’Or winners by year, club and country
| Year | Winner | Country | Club on awards night |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Ada Hegerberg | Norway | Lyon |
| 2019 | Megan Rapinoe | United States | Reign FC |
| 2020 | Not awarded | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| 2021 | Alexia Putellas | Spain | Barcelona |
| 2022 | Alexia Putellas | Spain | Barcelona |
| 2023 | Aitana Bonmatí | Spain | Barcelona |
| 2024 | Aitana Bonmatí | Spain | Barcelona |
| 2025 | Aitana Bonmatí | Spain | Barcelona |
| 2026 | Alexia Putellas | Spain | London City Lionesses |
Bonmatí’s third win followed a domestic treble with Barcelona, alongside defeats in the Champions League and European Championship finals. Arsenal beat Barça; England beat Spain. The Ballon d’Or voting system still rewarded her individual season, even without those two team titles.
Putellas reclaimed the award ahead of Ewa Pajor and Khadija Shaw. In Barcelona’s victorious 2025/26 Champions League campaign, she contributed seven goals and seven assists and earned Player of the Season. Spain’s 2025 Nations League triumph brought another individual honor, Player of the Finals.
Barcelona leads the club count with the five trophies Putellas and Bonmatí collected from 2021 through 2025. Lyon, Reign FC and London City Lionesses each have one.
| Club on awards night | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 5 | 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Lyon | 1 | 2018 |
| Reign FC | 1 | 2019 |
| London City Lionesses | 1 | 2026 |
Putellas’ 2026 win counts for London City Lionesses, although she spent the award-winning season at Barcelona.
Putellas and Bonmatí have contributed three wins each to Spain’s six.
| Country | Wins | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 6 | Alexia Putellas (3); Aitana Bonmatí (3) |
| Norway | 1 | Ada Hegerberg (1) |
| United States | 1 | Megan Rapinoe (1) |
Spain holds 75 percent of all women’s Ballon d’Or awards through 2026. Norway and the United States share the rest. Eight trophies have rewarded just four players; the next first-time winner will have to break a run held by Putellas and Bonmatí since 2021.
