Girona FC and Barça Women shortlisted for Ballon d'Or's club of year award

FC Barcelona players Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo nominated for golden trophy

The Ballon d'Or trophy is displayed during a press conference to present the new Ballon d'Or trophy, on the outskirts of Paris, on September 19, 2019
The Ballon d'Or trophy is displayed during a press conference to present the new Ballon d'Or trophy, on the outskirts of Paris, on September 19, 2019 / THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images via UEFA
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Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

September 5, 2024 10:02 AM

September 5, 2024 10:02 AM

Girona FC and the FC Barcelona women's team have been shortlisted for the 2024 Ballon d'Or Club of the Year award in the men's and women's categories, respectively.

For most of the last La Liga season, Girona FC was one of the highest-ranked clubs, but in the end, they did not win the league title. However, the team made history by qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, a dream that "at the beginning of the season seemed unthinkable," according to team members.

Meanwhile, the FC Barcelona Women's team won their third Champions League title against Olympique Lyonnais FC in a Barça fan-packed stadium in Bilbao. The team also won the Spanish League, among other trophies.

Jaume Collboni, mayor of Barcelona holding a Barça jersey with his name during the reception for Barça feminí's third Champions League victory
Jaume Collboni, mayor of Barcelona holding a Barça jersey with his name during the reception for Barça feminí's third Champions League victory / Ajuntament de Barcelona

Girona FC is competing for the Ballon d'Or Men's Club of the Year award against Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.

Barcelona will compete for the women's award against Chelsea, NJ/NY Gotham, Olympique Lyonnais, and Paris Saint-Germain. Their former coach, Jonatan Giráldez, now with Washington Spirit, has also been nominated for the Women's Coach of the Year award.

Golden Trophy

Former Girona player Artem Dovbyk, along with FC Barcelona players Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal, have been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, the organization announced on Tuesday night.

Other big names include Athletic Club's Nico Williams, Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Toni Kroos or Dani Carvajal. Real Madrid has the highest number of nominees, with seven out of 30.

Yamal has also been shortlisted for the Kopa Trophy (best young player) alongside FC Barcelona player Pau Cubarsí and former Girona player Savinho.

The Girona crest at one of their club shops in the city
The Girona crest at one of their club shops in the city / Cillian Shields

In the women's category, FC Barcelona players Aitana Bonmatí (last year's winner), Lucy Bronze (now with Chelsea), Mariona Caldentey (now with Arsenal), Caroline Graham Hansen, Patricia Guijarro, Ewa Pajor, Salma Paralluelo, and Alexia Putellas make FC Barcelona the team with the most shortlisted players.

They will compete against Olympique Lyonnais, Chelsea, and several Bayern Munich players.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held on October 28 in Paris, hosted by Didier Drogba and Sandy Heribert.