Will a USWNT player ever win the Ballon d'Or again? - ESPN

U.S. women's national team midfielder Rose Lavelle laughed when reminded that she is the only U.S. international on the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or Féminin.

«I always feel really lucky with the wealth of talent that I've been able to play with in this country, both on the national team and in the club environment,» Lavelle told ESPN during the most recent USWNT training camp earlier this month, deflecting the praise that comes with the best player award.

Lavelle deserves her place on the list after a standout year with the USWNT and with Gotham FC, including the winning goal in the 2025 NWSL Championship. As talented as she is, however, she is a long shot to win the award Monday.

The world order has shifted from the United States in decades past to Europe. Spain's 2023 World Cup title was the tipping point. What's more, the Ballon d'Or award is also structured around the European calendar, which splits the NWSL's season in half.

It all begs the question: When will a U.S. player — or even someone playing outside of Europe — again win either the Ballon d'Or or FIFA Best award (separate awards that typically produce the same results)?

The answer? Not likely anytime soon.

«Listen, it's no surprise,» retired U.S. international Crystal Dunn told reporters earlier this month. «I think the Ballon d'Or does skew a little bit more towards European players, right? It's been a talking point, we all, we all understand this.»

Dunn said that, right now, the award «is not inclusive of every player, but we all understand that. That's kind of how the world really is sometimes.»

Change to individual award winners also mirrors the shift in world power at a team level. Spain is the undisputed No. 1 team on the planet. Spain