Copper Queens Captain Barbra Banda Nominated for Ballon d’Or

The captain of the Copper Queens Barbra Banda is one of 30 female players to have been shortlisted for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

Banda, who plays for Orlando Pride, has been joint-top of the US Women’s Soccer League leadership board having scored 12 goals in 12 games. She also scored four goals across three matches in the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics.

Reacting to the news Banda thanked her teammates saying it would now be possible without them. “I just want to say thank you for this opportunity,” she says in a video posted to Facebook by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).

The Ballon d’Or, which means golden ball in French, is an annual football award presented to the best performing players of the previous season. Originally limited to players in Europe, in 2007 it became a global prize.

This year’s winners will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on 28 October 2024. The winner of the 2023 women’s award Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati is also on the short list.

The full list of nominees are as follows:

Aitana Bonmati (Spain and Barcelona)

Barbra Banda (Zambia and Orlando Pride)

Tarciane (Brazil and Houston Dash)

Lauren Hemp (England and Manchester City)

Trinity Rodman (United States and Washington Spirit)

Ada Hegerberg (Norway and Lyon)

Manuela Giugliano (Italy and Roma)

Mallory Swanson (United States and Chicago Red Stars)

Glodis Viggosdottir (Iceland and Bayern Munich)

Mariona Caldentey (Spain and Arsenal)

Lauren James (England and Chelsea)

Lea Schuller (Germany and Bayern Munich)

Patricia Guijarro (Spain and Barcelona)

Gabi Portilho (Brazil and Corinthians)

Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi and Lyon)

Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway and Barcelona)

Lindsey Horan (United States and Lyon)

Sjoeke Nusken (Germany and Chelsea)

Yui Hasegawa (Japan and Manchester City)

Lucy Bronze (England and Chelsea)

Salma Paralluelo (Spain and Barcelona)

Giulia Gwinn (Germany and Bayern Munich)

Khadija Shaw (Jamaica and Manchester City)

Grace Geyoro (France and Paris St-Germain)

Alexia Putellas (Spain and Barcelona)

Sophia Smith (United States and Portland Thorns)

Ewa Pajor (Poland and Barcelona)

Alyssa Naeher (United States and Chicago Red Stars)

Mayra Ramirez (Colombia and Chelsea)

Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France and Paris St-Germain)