Alexia Putellas a worthy Ballon d’Or winner but the limited shortlist illustrates flaws

Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for a record-equalling third time after leading Barcelona to the Women's Champions League title. The 32-year-old midfielder, who recently signed with London City Lionesses, recorded 14 goal contributions across 11 European appearances. Barcelona dominated the event, with Cata Coll, Pere Romeu, and Vicky López also receiving top honours alongside Putellas at the London Palladium ceremony.

The Guardian's Tom Garry argues that despite Putellas's worthy win, the ceremony revealed lingering inequalities in women's football awards. Garry points out that women's categories featured shorter nomination shortlists than the men's equivalents. Additionally, Garry notes that the voting timeframe excluded the rearranged Women's Africa Cup of Nations, contributing to a lack of recognition for African talent.