Voting has opened for the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026 award, with fans worldwide able to choose from a five-player shortlist. The winner will be announced on 13 December.
The five-player shortlist
The nominees are Temwa Chawinga, Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo and Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw. Contenders are nominated by coaches, journalists and former professionals, and the award covers the period from September 2025 to September 2026.
Voting and the announcement
Voting closes on 18 November at 09:00 GMT. The winner will be announced as part of the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, as well as on the BBC World Service and the BBC Sport website and app. The award is in its 12th year.
Chawinga and Pajor
Chawinga scored 15 goals in the 2025 season, and her performances earned her a contract extension through until 2029. She returned to international football with Malawi for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. Chawinga and her sister Tabitha helped Malawi reach the country's first Wafcon final and qualify for the Women's World Cup for the first time. She scored against Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Algeria at Wafcon and won the tournament's Golden Boot with five goals.
Pajor scored Barcelona's first two goals in a 4-0 Champions League final victory over Lyon. She scored 16 league goals in 23 appearances and provided five assists, and was a key player as Barcelona won the domestic treble.
Putellas, Russo and Shaw
Putellas spent 14 years with Barcelona and helped the club win four major trophies in her final season there. She recorded 14 goal contributions in 11 Champions League appearances and completed a move to London City Lionesses in July 2026. Putellas scored three goals against Sweden in the Women's Nations League semi-finals before Spain defeated Germany 3–0 in the final. She delayed announcing her move to avoid creating a distraction, saying the club's “women-only identity and ambition” were important factors.
Russo scored 13 WSL goals last season, finished second in the league's scoring charts and provided six assists in 22 appearances. She registered 24 goals and eight assists across all competitions, and won the inaugural Women's Champions Cup with Arsenal after a 3-2 extra-time victory over Corinthians. Arsenal finished runners-up to Manchester City in the WSL. Russo scored her 30th senior international goal for England in April and moved into the top 10 of the Lionesses' goalscorers. She was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award.
Shaw scored 21 goals in 22 league appearances during Manchester City's Women's Super League title-winning campaign and was named WSL Player of the Season. Manchester City ended a 10-year wait for the league title and completed the Double. Shaw scored the opening goal in Manchester City's FA Cup final victory over Brighton at Wembley and finished the season with 26 goals in all competitions. At Manchester City's end-of-season celebrations, she announced that she had signed a new four-year contract through to 2030.
