Chelsea’s Magda Eriksson, Jessie Fleming, Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder and Fran Kirby have all been nominated to receive the Ballon d’Or.
The quintet are joined on the 20-player shortlist by Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema and Manchester City’s Ellen White.
Chelsea wrote a new chapter to their history last season with the club reaching the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time. The Blues were defeated 4-0 by FC Barcelona in the showpiece in Gothenburg but Emma Hayes’ side put in some heroic performances in the knockout stages leading up to the final. Forward Kirby was the competition’s joint-top scorer with six goals.
The South West Londoners also won another Barclays FA Women’s Super League title in 2020/2021 along with the FA Women’s Continental League Cup. Quintet Eriksson, Fleming, Kerr, Harder and Kirby all played their parts in those successes.
Defender Eriksson and midfielder Fleming both also impressed on the international stage with the two players contesting the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament final with their respective nations.
Arsenal forward Miedema recently scored her 100th goal for the club, none of which have been penalties. The Dutch international has seven league goals to her name in the current calendar year, as well as five in this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League. She scored 10 goals at the Olympic Games in the summer for The Netherlands including four in a 10-3 victory over Zambia.
Manchester City’s White has been a leading attacking figure for both club and country. She scored six goals for Team GB at this summer’s Olympic Games including a hat-trick in the 4-3 defeat to Australia while she has eight goals to her name for her club in the current calendar year.
The winner will be announced at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris next month.
Here are our first nominees for the 2021 Womenโs #BallondOr!
๐ช๐ธ Alexia Putellas
๐ธ๐ช Magdalena Eriksson
๐ซ๐ท Marie-Antoinette Katoto
๐ฆ๐บ Sam Kerr
๐ธ๐ช Stina Blackstenius pic.twitter.com/ToCAuxxAv8โ France Football #BallondOr (@francefootball) October 8, 2021
Letโs continue with the 2021 Womenโs #BallondOr nominees!
๐ซ๐ท Wendie Renard
๐บ๐ธ Samantha Mewis
๐ฉ๐ฐ Pernille Harder
๐ณ๐ฑ Vivianne Miedema
๐ช๐ธ Sandra Paรฑos pic.twitter.com/SBLIDD7Ng3โ France Football #BallondOr (@francefootball) October 8, 2021
Let’s keep the rhythm! Five new 2021 Womenโs #BallondOr nominees!
๐ณ๐ฑ Lieke Martens
๐จ๐ฆ Jessie Fleming
๐ช๐ธ Irene Paredes
๐จ๐ฆ Ashley Lawrence
๐จ๐ฆ Christine Sinclair pic.twitter.com/KZ0iLC7xdjโ France Football #BallondOr (@francefootball) October 8, 2021
And the last nominees for the 2021 Womenโs #BallondOr areโฆ
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Ellen White
๐จ๐ฑ Christiane Endler
๐ช๐ธ Jennifer Hermoso
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Fran Kirby
๐ซ๐ท Kadidiatou Diani pic.twitter.com/QbNJ6krP1lโ France Football #BallondOr (@francefootball) October 8, 2021
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