2025 Women's Ballon d'Or Power Rankings: How does battle between Arsenal and Barcelona shake out ahead of Euro 2025?

Hello and welcome to the second edition of TNT Sports' 2025 Women's Ballon d'Or Power Rankings. We will be bringing you regular updates to the power rankings across the next few months until the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony on September 22. With Euro 2025 just a couple of weeks away, everything could get completely shaken up, so make sure to check back regularly to find out who is leading.

Spain 'confident but not overconfident' says Putellas ahead of Euro 2025

Video credit: SNTV

The 2025 Women's Ballon d'Or race has become extremely fascinating since Arsenal's shock 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the final of the UEFA Women's Champions League.

Barcelona's ascent to the top of the women's football world has coincided with their players dominating the Ballon d'Or.

Whilst Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe won the first two editions of the award, it has since been split by Barca duo Alexia Putellas (2021 and 2022) and Aitana Bonmati (2023 and 2024).

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But with Barca's players not having a Champions League triumph to fall back on, things have suddenly got interesting.

Even more so because of the upcoming UEFA European Championship, which is likely to have a huge say on who wins, albeit 2022 winner Beth Mead had to settle for second even after England won an international tournament.

As a reminder, voting is done based on the season just gone but including Euro 2025. That does complicate matters a little for players playing in the NWSL unfortunately.

Let's take a look at the third edition of the power rankings as teams across the continent prepare for the start of Euro 2025.

10 - Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich)

Pernille Harder finished 14 goals and six assists in the Frauen-Bundesliga as well as six more goals in the Women's Champions League. This is a stark improvement over her first season at Bayern where she finished with nine goals and five assists across those two competitions.

It also helps that Harder, Denmark's captain, will be playing at the Euros which obviously as we said last week will end up counting against Lyon duo Dumornay and Lindsey Heaps.

Pernille Harder of FC Bayern München lifts the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga trophy Meisterschale during the award ceremony after the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and SGS Essen at FCB Campus on May 11, 2025

Image credit: Getty Images

9 - Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona)

Last year's runner-up had a tough season. Across league and Champions League Graham Hansen went from 26 goals and 23 assists to 14 goals and 12 assists, a massive drop.

She could still enjoy a late rise thanks to a strong showing at Euro 2025 but unfortunately for the Norwegian superstar, she feels more at risk of dropping out entirely than bumping up.

8 - Ewa Pajor (Barcelona)

After 27 goals and eight assists in the league and Champions League in her final season at Wolfsburg, Pajor exploded in her first season with Barca. The Polish striker ended with 32 goals and 11 assists across both competitions as she took to life in Spain like a duck to water.

Pajor's Poland have a tough group at Euro 2025, being up against Germany, Denmark and Sweden, but if they can spring an upset and get into the knockouts, expect Pajor to shoot up this list.

7 - Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea)

The first, and only player on this list from the English domestic treble-winners. Yes, we know. But honestly, there are not a lot of options. Mille Bright has bravely chosen not to play at Euro 2025, which is extremely commendable, but ultimately will cost her with voters. Erin Cuthbert's Scotland did not qualify, otherwise she would be in consideration. Ultimately, between the strength of their squad and the sheer number of injuries suffered, Chelsea do not have many stand-out candidates, particularly as Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's hot start fizzled out.

Which brings us to Baltimore, who enjoyed an excellent debut season in England. Often asked to play out of position at left-back, Baltimore excelled no matter what manager Sonia Bompastor asked of her, and she had her moment when she scored twice in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester United. Baltimore scored twice for France in their recent UEFA Nations League meeting and will start as one of their wingers. She is a true dark horse to make a shock late run if France go deep.

Sandy Baltimore and Chelsea celebrate

Image credit: Getty Images

As a side note for Chelsea, keep an eye on Lucy Bronze, Aggie Beever-Jones and Hannah Hampton if England go far and they make a difference. Ditto for Guro Reiten and Norway.

6 - Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride)

The only representative from the NWSL and really this could have been Temwa Chawinga, and perhaps it should have been. After all Chawinga scored more goals than Banda and she was voted the NWSL MVP. However, it was Banda and the Pride who won the 2024 NWSL title. It was Banda who scored the most goals in the playoffs (four) including in the final. So she makes the list.

But can she win? Probably not. Voters have not historically shown much inclination to vote for players in NWSL unless they have a major performance at an international tournament. If Banda plays a big role in Zambia getting to the final of this summer's Africa Cup of Nations then things could change.

5 - Claudia Pina (Barcelona)

If Baltimore is the dark horse of this list then Pina might just have to be considered a potential favourite. With 20 goals and eight assists this season, the 23-year-old returned her best numbers to date and that included top-scoring in the Champions League.

On top of that, Pina recently had a star showing in the Nations League when she came off the bench and scored twice to help Spain come from behind to beat England in a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final. Pina might not start at Euro 2025 for Spain, but by the end of the tournament there may be no option but to include her in the starting XI, such has been her rise this season. One to watch.

Claudia Pina of Spain celebrates scoring her team's second goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League 2024/25 Grp A3 MD6 match between Spain and England at RCDE Stadium on June 03, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.

Image credit: Getty Images

4 - Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)

The winner of the last two Ballon d'Or titles, Bonmati remains one of, if not the best player in the world. Yet there just is not as much buzz for Bonmati as there has been in previous years, including from us. Part of that is down, of course, to the Champions League defeat, and maybe a little bit of it is down to voters' fatigue.

But it is also down to a player we will talk about in a moment. If Bonmati is going to win a third title in a row, she will need a massive Euros.

Vinicius Jr. and Bonmati win top prizes at The Best FIFA Awards

Video credit: SNTV

3 - Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

Russo finished as the top scorer in the WSL and, as the second-highest scorer in the Champions League, it really was a stellar season all-round. It is worth noting that Russo had a tough start to the season before finishing strong, so she will need to carry forward all that momentum into Euro 2025 if she wants to climb the list.

However, she is set to lead the line for England this summer and a big Euros could see her become the first Englishwoman to ever win the Ballon d'Or in its current guise.

Wild celebrations as Arsenal lift Women's Champions League trophy - 'Made their own history'

Video credit: TNT Sports

2 - Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)

Another Gunner, Caldentey more than lived up to the billing in her first season in England. She finished with 16 goals and seven assists across the WSL and Champions League and was considered by many to be Arsenal's best player, particularly once Renee Slegers took over from Jonas Eidevall in the autumn.

Caldentey goes into the summer likely to start for Spain on one of the wings and she will have to beat out team-mates from club and country if she wants to take the award, but she is very close.

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1 - Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Yes, Putellas did not win the Champions League. And yes, both Russo and Caldentey did. However, it has to be considered that domestically, Arsenal were poor. They finished 12 points off Chelsea (in a 22-game league season), lost in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the semi-finals of the League Cup. The Champions League rightly counts for more, but it is not an excuse for poor league play. Having said that, Barcelona players should also be knocked a bit given the relative strength of WSL and Liga F.

However, despite all of that, this is why Putellas is top of the list. She is back to being the best player in the world. Putellas was absolutely magnificent across the entire season and looked every inch the player who won this award in back-to-back years. Putellas might need a strong Euro campaign to beat out the two Arsenal players, but both her and Barca's recent history in women's football gives her a lead. She is simply the player to beat right now.

Alexia Putellas (FC Barcelona)

Image credit: Getty Images

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Thoughts?