As the new year inches closer, it’s time to close the chapter on one footballing journey and embrace another. As professional leagues and global competitions prepare for a long winter’s nap, it’s also the time of year to get reflective, which means this is the perfect moment to do a Ballon d’Or Power Rankings.
The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League looks ahead to the knockout rounds in February after celebrating a new era with the league phase. A new generation of stars has risen alongside established icons to define this historic season. An 18-team, six-round, gauntlet introduced new faces alongside established icons of the game to build a new era of Champions League. In typical soccer culture, it’s the battlegrounds where cases are made for individual accolades.
For extra clarity and context, sorry, there’s no Aitana Bonmati on this (current) list. To be fair, the midfield paragon began her campaign with a bit of a chip on her shoulder, with elevated, commanding play.
After sustaining a fractured left fibula that will keep her out till perhaps April, we just couldn’t place her in these current rankings. But knowing how things have panned out in the past, she could go on a three-month run and still be in contention for the award, let alone an analyst’s ranking.
There is also no Patri Guijarro, another Barcelona midfielder, who has often flown under the shadows of Bonmati and Alexia Putellas. A foot injury hampered her participation the the UWCL league phase, but she could be back in January, leaving plenty of time to work her way back into form and conversation around the grand individual prize.
Still, there were plenty of standout performances on full display, so who are the players that are etching their names in the conversation as the world’s best? The truth is that there’s a plethora of athletes to choose from, so many that even the Champions League can’t contain them all. If next season’s Ballon d’Or is already in contention (August to July), then this is more a mid-year check-in than any sort of end-of-year summary.
In fact, if based purely on performances across both domestic leagues and other big stages, here’s a power ranking of the 10 players currently making a case for Ballon d’Or.
10. Khadija Shaw (Man City)
A ruthless striker, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw remains one of the most consistent and dominant forwards in the game. While Manchester City are not in the Champions League, her impressive form cannot be ignored. Scoring 12 goals in 11 WSL matches, she’s leaving the rest of the league in the dust in the Golden Boot race. It’s not just that she’s a nightmare for any defender, but her ability to win aerial duels and maneuver out of any tight spaces makes her a prolific player.
9. Hannah Hampton (Chelsea)
Perhaps a bit hypocritical to place a currently injured player among the rankings, but Chelsea FC goalkeeper Hanna Hampton is undoubtedly reliable as the Blues’ last line of defense. Her quad injury flared up in November, and holiday time away could see Hampton right back in the net for Chelsea in January.
Whether in WSL or Champions League, she’s been a rock, offering a calm, commanding presence that allows her star-studded team to play with freedom. She’s maintaining a clean sheet while boasting an 85.2% save percentage in domestic play, saving more goals than expected.
8. Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)
It seems as if Linda Caicedo is just scratching the surface of what’s to come for her. At just 19 years old, she’s delivered on the hype around her as one of Colombia’s finest and Real Madrid’s most thrilling players. She’s producing for the club both domestically and in the Champions League by playing fearlessly and consistently taking on defenders or creating chaos.
7. Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea FC)
France international Sandy Baltimore is the open secret weapon for Chelsea. She can both create and finish chances with a versatility that can take her from the back to the front line in an instant. She can pop up in dangerous spaces and with a cool composure that makes her invaluable. As a creator, she’s able to chip in for others while testing goalkeepers on her own. Her two goals in six Champions League games this season are just added assets.
6. Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current)
If there’s going to be a player on a Ballon d’Or power ranking that represents NWSL, it will be the league MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga. The Malawian International earned the two honors in back-to-back seasons, and prior to a late-season adductor injury, she was the most lethal striker on the planet. Her missing presence on other lists is outright ignorant, but that’s not going to happen here. If Chawinga is back to producing come Spring 2026, expect her to be higher on this list.
5. Caroline Graham Hansen (FC Barcelona)
In years past, Caroline Graham Hansen has been a direct rival to her own club teammates when it comes to Ballon d’Or resumes. She’s a relentless force on the right wing for Barcelona, and her instinctual motion constantly puts defenders in panic mode. She leads the team in shots (19) during the league phase, an example of her constant effort to drive at opponents and create chances whenever possible.
4. Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)
Since her arrival in England, Mariona Caldenty has been the key to tempo control for Arsenal. Her goal contributions in the competition don’t quite mirror her previous Champions League winning season, yet, but her influence on the team is in her intelligent movement throughout the center of the pitch. She’s been crucial in linking play and can make the Gunners’ attacking system click when it seems overly stagnant.
3. Klara Buhl (Bayern Munich)
No one is chasing Klara Buhl in assists this Champions League season. She brought Bayern Munich back from a troubled opening round match against Barcelona and essentially erased any bad lingering feelings from a poor matchday 1 with eight assists through six games this campaign
Her incredible creative output simply cannot be ignored. Her unselfish play in the final third and exceptional crosses are the primary fuel for Bayern’s attack.
2. Alexia Putellas (FC Barcelona)
Already a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, Alexia Putellas continues to operate at a lethal level. The Barcelona midfielder maintains the rhythm of her squad and constantly orchestrates play. She’s had an impressive Champions League campaign through the league phase.
Despite two penalty misses, she’s scored three goals and delivered four assists in the opening rounds, and is averaging a direct goal involvement of more than once per game. Her ability to dictate play, thread narrow passes, and technical execution will keep her in the running for individual awards.
1. Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes)
There’s perhaps no other player in Europe who is as potent and exciting a threat as Melchie Durmornay. The Haitian international has taken another step forward in her career, showing off her incredible skill set through increasingly versatile play. Whether as a pure number nine, or in a lower role, she has taken charge of OL Lyonnes’ current form in the Champions League.
She leads the club with 21 shots and four goals in the tournament, and her movement off the ball is constantly opening up lanes for others. Her combination of timed runs and fearless long-range precision with technical flair makes her arguably the most dangerous player to defend at the moment.
