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BBC Opens Voting for Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026 With Five-Player Shortlist
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Five finalists: Temwa Chawinga, Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw. Voting open worldwide with global vote; closes 09:00 GMT November 18.
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Voting Opens for 2026
The BBC opened voting for the BBC World Service Women’s Footballer of the Year 2026, with fans worldwide able to choose from a five-player shortlist of Temwa Chawinga, Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo and Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw. The vote closing time is 09:00 GMT on Wednesday, 18 November, and the winner will be announced as part of BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday, 13 December. The award covers the period September 2025-August 2026, and coaches, journalists and former professionals nominate the contenders.
“Fans worldwide can vote from the five-player shortlist of Temwa Chawinga, Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo and Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw.”
The BBC described Temwa Chawinga as a forward for Kansas City and said she scored 15 goals in the 2025 season, while the BBC described Ewa Pajor as a forward for Barcelona who scored in a 4-0 Champions League final victory over Lyon. The BBC said Putellas completed a move to London City Lionesses in July 2026, and it said Russo scored 13 WSL goals last season while Shaw scored 21 goals in 22 league appearances.
How the Award Fits
The BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year programme added two football specific awards for 2026, with Men’s Footballer of the Year and BBC World Service Women’s Footballer of the Year both voted for by the public. The TV broadcast of the awards will take place on Sunday 13 December, live from Salford, and it named Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott as hosts. The Women’s Footballer of the Year will be determined by global vote, reflecting its heritage as a BBC World Service award that has run since 2015.
Radio Times said BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2026 will have five public-voted categories, including two new awards for Men’s Footballer of the Year and Women’s Footballer of the Year. "What I love about BBC Sports Personality of the Year is that it brings together all those moments that stopped us in our tracks."
Finalists and Potential Outcomes
Shaw was nominated for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, and she is a Jamaican international who was chosen as the third-best female player in the world in the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Shaw led City’s attack with 27 goals in all competitions on the way to a historic double, and she won the Barclays Women’s Super League Golden Boot for the third time. Shaw lifted her first English league title and the prestigious FA Cup, and she will remain in Manchester until 2030.
“She won the tournament's Golden Boot with five goals.”
Chawinga helped Malawi reach the country's first Wafcon final and qualify for the Women's World Cup for the first time, and Chawinga won the tournament's Golden Boot with five goals. Putellas was awarded a record-equalling third Ballon d'Or last month, and Pajor captains Poland as its leading goalscorer.