Four Lionesses among 30 contenders hoping to win prestigious Ballon D'or award

PA
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on on the 30 October. Credit: PA Images

Four of England's Lionesses have been listed among the nominees of the prestigious Ballon d'Or Award.

Rachel Daly, Millie Bright, Georgia Stanway and Mary Earps are in the running for the award, which is the football equivalent to the Oscars.

It is the fifth edition of the women's Ballon d'Or and the list has been extended to include 30 rather than 20 players.

Lionness Captain Millie Bright led the side to the World Cup Final in Australia earlier this year and England was in touching distance of taking the trophy but was narrowly beaten by Spain 1-0.

Earps, a key player in the tournament after saving a penalty in the final game against Spain's Jennifer Hermoso in the final is in the running, after he skills saw her earn the golden glove award for the 2023 World Cup.

Daly, who was the top scorer in the Women's Super League last season, having scored 22 goals for Aston Villa and set a new WSL record, has been recognised for the achievement, as has Bayern Munich midfielder Stanway.

Posting on social media Daly said: "Wow, to be nominated for this award amongst some of the best players in the world is such a phenomenal honour."

The Ballon d'Or is an annual event, and a golden trophy is given to the best footballer of the year as voted for by football journalists from around the world.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on 30 October.

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