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Kirby and White make Ballon d’Or shortlist as Barca’s Graham Hansen dismisses women’s award snub

FRAN KIRBY and Ellen White are among the WSL stars who made the nominees shortlist for this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or award. 

The England aces are joined by Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, Magda Eriksson, Jessie Fleming and Pernille Harder. 

Fran Kirby is one of five Chelsea stars on this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist
Man City forward Ellen is among the WSL aces nominated for the award

But the surprise omission of Barcelona’s wing wiz Caroline Graham Hansen has stunned some fans and pundits. 

And a few have taken to social media to question why the Barca ace, 26, was missing from the women’s award’s 20-player shortlist. 

But the Norway international, who helped the Catalan giants brush Chelsea aside in this year’s Women’s Champions League final seems unfazed by the nomination snub.

And the winger who netted eight times in 23 top-flight games helping Barca to title wins in Europe and Spain, took to Twitter to let her supporters know. 

Reacting to the announcement, Graham Hansen tweeted: “To everyone who is wondering. It’s all good. 

“We won the triple, and we are working our a***s off to achieve this again. All that matters and the only thing that matters. 

Kirby, 28, and White, 32, enjoyed impressive seasons for their top-flight sides last term. 

City striker White broke the all-time record for goals scored in the WSL when she netted for the 55th time in the top-flight in February. 

Meanwhile Kirby notched up 16 goals and 11 assists in the league helping the Blues claim their fourth domestic title.

And the playmaker who netted twice during the Blues Conti Cup triumph finished as last term’s PFA Women’s Player of the Year.

Barcelona have five stars on this year’s shortlist with Jenni Hermoso, Alexis Puttellas, Lieke Martins  and keeper Sandra Panos among the nominees.

Samantha Mewis is the only USA’s women’s national team player in the running for the award which was put on hiatus last year due to the Covid pandemic. 

Caroline Graham Hansen’s omission from this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist has surprised some fans

And Portland Thorns forward Christine Sinclair among the Canada stars shortlisted alongside her compatriots Fleming and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ashley Lawrence. 

The trio were part of the Canadian that won gold in the Tokyo Olympics women’s football tournament under the management of Bev Priestman.

The winner of the prestigious prize is due to be announced on November 29 in France’s capital Paris. 


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