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Sam Kerr was among the 20 finalists for the 2021 Women’s Ballon d’Or, the world’s best footballer award.
The Matildas captain was recognized for her prowess during the year, which saw her win the Golden Boot as England’s Women’s Super League top scorer with Chelsea while continuing to prove a totem pole for the Australian national team at the Olympics.
Kerr, whose goals helped Chelsea win a league / league cup double while also qualifying them for the Champions League final, is once again at the top of the WSL scoring charts this season after in scoring six for the Matildas in Tokyo.
The 28-year-old is one of five Chelsea players on the shortlist along with Denmark’s Pernille Harder, Sweden’s Magdalena Eriksson, Canada’s Jessie Fleming and England’s Fran Kirby, with whom she has forged a prolific striking partnership.
The prolific Kerr was also among the goals in Chelsea’s 3-3 Champions League draw against Wolfsburg on Thursday.
This is only the third edition of the Women’s Ballon d’Or. Ada Hegerberg won in 2018 and Megan Rapinoe in 2019, but there was no prize last year due to the Covid pandemic.
The 30-man pre-selection, which has been running since 1956, is, as usual, led by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have won the distinction 11 times between them.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony, which did not take place last year, is in Paris on November 29.
The nominated women: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain), Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea, Sweden), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG, France), Sam Kerr (Chelsea, Australia), Stina Blackstenius (Hacken, Sweden), Wendie Renard (Lyon, France) , Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage, USA), Pernille Harder (Chelsea, Denmark), Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, Netherlands), Sandra Panos (Barcelona, Spain), Lieke Martens (Barcelona, Netherlands), Jessie Fleming ( Chelsea, Canada), Irene Paredes (Barcelona, Spain), Ashley Lawrence (PSG, Canada), Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns, Canada), Ellen White (Man City, England), Christiane Endler (Lyon, Chile), Jennifer Hermoso ( Barcelona, Spain), Fran Kirby (Chelsea, England), Kadidiatou Diani (PSG, France).
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