Voting has opened for the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026, with a shortlist that includes Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga, Poland’s Ewa Pajor, Spain’s Alexia Putellas, England’s Alessia Russo, and Jamaica’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw. Fans around the world have until 09:00 GMT on Wednesday, 18 November, to cast their votes. The winner will be revealed on Sunday, 13 December, during the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, as well as on the BBC World Service and BBC Sport’s website and app.
Temwa Chawinga’s 2025 season was one of the most notable achievements among the nominees. The 28-year-old forward helped Kansas City Current secure the NWSL Shield by finishing top of the regular season. Chawinga scored 15 goals, earning the NWSL MVP award for the second consecutive year and claiming the Golden Boot once again. Her performances led to a contract extension with Kansas City through 2029. Internationally, she returned to represent Malawi in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she scored five goals including strikes against Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, and Algeria. Her efforts helped Malawi reach their first-ever WAFCON final and qualify for the Women’s World Cup for the first time. She was also the tournament’s top scorer.
Ewa Pajor, 29, has made a significant impact at Barcelona, where she was instrumental in the club’s four-trophy haul last season. She scored twice in the 4-0 Champions League final win over Lyon, finishing as the competition’s top scorer. This victory gave Pajor her first Champions League title after losing five previous finals, four with Wolfsburg and one with Barcelona. In Liga F, she scored 16 goals in 23 appearances, adding five assists, as Barcelona completed the domestic treble. Pajor also captains the Poland national team and is their leading goalscorer.
Alexia Putellas, 32, capped off her 14 years at Barcelona with a season that included four major trophies. Her 14 goal contributions in 11 Champions League matches helped secure Barcelona’s fourth European title. Putellas delayed announcing her transfer to London City Lionesses until July 2026 to avoid distraction for Barcelona, citing the new club’s "women-only identity and ambition" as factors in her move. Putellas played a decisive role in Spain’s 2025 Women’s Nations League victory, scoring three goals against Sweden in the semi-finals and earning the player of the finals award after Spain defeated Germany 3-0. She also won a record-equalling third Ballon d’Or last month.
Alessia Russo, 27, continued to be a prominent attacker for Arsenal and England. She scored 13 goals in the Women’s Super League (WSL) last season, finishing second in the league’s scoring charts, and registered six assists in 22 appearances. Across all competitions, she recorded 24 goals and eight assists. Russo was part of the Arsenal squad that won the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup, beating Corinthians 3-2 after extra time. Though Arsenal finished runners-up to Manchester City in the WSL, Russo remains a key player for England, becoming one of the country’s top 10 all-time goalscorers with 30 international goals. She also earned a nomination for the PFA Player of the Year award.
Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, 29, was the leading striker in Manchester City’s WSL title-winning campaign. She scored 21 goals in 22 league appearances, collecting her third consecutive WSL Golden Boot and being named WSL Player of the Season. Shaw’s goals helped City win the league for the first time in a decade, and she scored the opening goal in their FA Cup final win over Brighton at Wembley. She finished the season with 26 goals across all competitions and reached the milestone of 100 goals for City’s professional women’s team in December 2025. Shaw signed a new four-year contract with Manchester City extending to 2030 amid uncertainty over her future.
The BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award has been running for 12 years. Past winners include Hannah Hampton in 2025, Barbra Banda in 2024, and Mary Earps in 2023. The shortlist this year was selected by coaches, journalists, and former professionals based on performances from September 2025 through September 2026.
Voting remains open until 18 November, with the announcement set for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year event on 13 December.
According to Yahoo Sports.
