Groundbreaking Katie McCabe ‘Proud’ Of Landmark Ballon d'Or nomination

Ireland captain Katie McCabe was once again written into the history books last night when she was nominated amongst the world’s best footballers for the illustrious Ballon d'Or award.

The Arsenal skipper merited her shortlist through a variety of achievements over the the past year, where she lead the Girls In Green to their first World Cup, scored their first World Cup goal, helped her club Arsenal to win the the Conti cup and progress to the semi finals of the Champions League and even picked up the WSL goal of the season prize.

In doing so McCabe became the first Irish woman to be nominated and also the first Irish player since Roy Keane back in 2000.

Responding to the news on social media last night the Tallaght woman spoke of how she was “very proud to be nominated among the best in the world.”

Getting the @UWCL win with @arsenalwfc and being nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or! Very proud to be nominated among the best in the world!! Blessed ❤️@BALLON_DOR9 #ballondor https://t.co/pQU3dbKYQH

— Katie McCabe (@Katie_McCabe11) September 6, 2023

29 other players were also “blessed” to be in the bracket, ranging from Spain’s World Cup winning heroes such as Salma Paralluelo, Aitana Bonmati, Alba Redondo and Olga Carmona to the WC golden boot winner Hinata Miyazawa of Japan.

McCabe’s Arsenal teammate Amanda Ilestedt, who just recently transferred from Paris Saint-Germain also made the cut, as did Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw, Jill Roord, Yui Hasegawa, Hayley Raso (now Real Madrid), Manchester United’s Mary Earps, Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, Guro Reiten, Millie Bright, and Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly and Daphne Van Domselaar.

ᴋᴀᴛɪᴇ ᴍᴄᴄᴀʙᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ɴᴏᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀʟʟᴏɴ ᴅ'ᴏʀ

No one will be surprised to see Katie McCabe shortlisted among the top 30 players in the WORLD! She becomes the first Irish woman to be nominated and the first Irish player since Roy Keane in 2000. pic.twitter.com/4nfyscige3

— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) September 6, 2023

Full list of women's Ballon d'Or nominees
Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)
Mapi Leon (Barcelona)
Mary Earps (Manchester United)
Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
Wendie Renard (Lyon)
Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
Jill Roord (Wolfsburg and Manchester City)
Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City)
Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg)
Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Debinha (Kansas City)
Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg)
Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona)
Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente and Aston Villa)
Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)
Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai and Manchester United)
Millie Bright (Chelsea)
Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
Hayley Raso (Manchester City and Real Madrid)
Amanda Ilestedt (PSG and Arsenal)
Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)
Olga Ramona (Real Madrid)
Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)
Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)
Alba Redondo (Levante)
Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)
Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon)