Voting opens for BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2026
Voting is now open for the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2026, and five players are left in the running. The shortlist, the final group picked from a longer list of contenders, is Temwa Chawinga, Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo and Khadija "Bunny" Shaw. BBC Sport announced the list on 10 November.
The award looks back at a full year of women's football, from September 2025 to September 2026. Coaches, journalists and former professionals put forward the players they think deserve a place among the contenders. This year marks the 12th year the award has been given.
Fans have about eight days to vote. Voting closes on Wednesday 18 November at 09:00 GMT, so anyone who wants a say needs to act before then.
There is one change this year. For the first time, the winner will be announced as part of BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the BBC's annual show that crowns its top sports personality. The winner will also be announced on the BBC World Service and on the BBC Sport website and app, so the result will reach listeners and readers who are not watching television.
Shortlists always start arguments. Every name on this one has a case, and the people who nominated them clearly saw something worth backing. The result will be known once voting closes next Wednesday, and the public's choice will be part of the national sporting conversation that week.
