Matildas and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has placed third in the prestigious women’s Ballon d’Or award.
The Australia captain was only behind Spain and Barcelona stars Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso in the voting.
Kerr scored 21 goals in the English Women’s Super League to land the Golden Boot and then six for Australia at the Tokyo Games – and has maintained her excellent this season with 13 goals in 12 games this season.
The Matildas captain has been rewarded for her goalscoring prowess over the year which has seen her win the Golden Boot as the top scorer in England’s Women’s Super League with Chelsea while also continuing to prove a totem for the Australian national team at the Olympics.
Putellas won the top prize for the first time after an outstanding season for club and country.
The 27-year-old midfielder helped Barca win the treble and scored 26 goals in 42 games overall.
She netted in the Champions League final against Kerr’s Chelsea, and in August she was named UEFA women’s player of the year.
“I’m very emotional, it’s a very special moment,” she said at the Paris ceremony through a translator.
“I would like to start by thanking all my teammates, especially my current (Barcelona) teammates. For me it’s a collective success.”
The only previous women’s award winners are Norway striker Ada Hegerberg in 2018, and US forward Megan Rapinoe in 2019.
The 2020 awards were cancelled because the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the season.
Argentina’s Messi wins seventh Ballon d’Or
Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award as the world’s best male footballer for a record-extending seventh time.
The 34-year-old – who joined PSG on a free transfer from Barcelona during the off-season – collected 613 points to finish ahead of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski (580) and Chelsea’s Italy midfielder Jorginho (460) at a star-studded ceremony in Paris.
Messi claimed a maiden Copa America title with his country this year and was top scorer in La Liga for the 2020-21 season with 30 goals as Barcelona finished third.
He added to his 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019 Ballon d’Or trophies, while five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo was voted sixth best for 2021.
“It’s incredible to be here again. Two years ago I thought it was the last time. Winning the Copa America was key”, Messi said at Paris’s Theatre du Chatelet.
Lewandowski won striker of the year and Chelsea club of the year for both men’s and women’s achievements.
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women’s individual award after helping Barca to the treble, with her club and country teammate Jennifer Hermoso second and Chelsea’s Australia superstar Sam Kerr third.
“I’m very emotional, it’s a very special moment,” Putellas said.
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Pedri won the Kopa Trophy for best men’s young player ahead of England’s Jude Bellingham and Germany’s Jamal Musiala while Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma took the Yashin goalkeeping award.
Messi helped Barcelona win the Copa del Rey last season before moving to PSG in the summer.
Lewandowski, 33, who was widely expected to win last year, scored 38 goals in 30 league games for Bayern Munich in 2021 and 11 goals in 12 games for Poland.
He netted in 19 consecutive games in all competitions for Bayern from February to September and he just missed out on equalling the record of scoring in 16 Bundesliga games in a row.
Overall, he already has 25 goals in 20 games for Bayern this season.
“I would like to say to Robert that it’s an honour to be your rival, and everyone would say you deserved to win it last year,” Messi said.
Meanwhile, Jorginho had a standout campaign in which he helped Italy to glory at the delayed Euro 2020 after lifting the Champions League trophy with Chelsea in May.
France duo Karim Benzema and Ngolo Kante rounded out the top five vote-getters.
Awarded by France Football magazine, the Ballon d’Or has been awarded since 1956 when Stanley Matthews won.
The only previous women’s award winners are Norway striker Ada Hegerberg in 2018, and US forward Megan Rapinoe in 2019.
with AP, PA and Reuters
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