Windsor native Sophia Smith was named a nominee for the 2023 Ballon d’Or on Wednesday, putting her in the running to be named the world’s top female soccer player.<\/p>\n
It’s the first time Smith has been nominated for the award.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old United States Women’s National Team star was the lone American on the 30-player list. She became the second Coloradan to be nominated after Golden’s Lindsey Horan was named a finalist in 2018, the first year of the female version of the trophy, and finished 10th.<\/p>\n
The award, which has been around since 1956, has been presented annually by French Football, a French news magazine, to one male and one female player. It is voted on by a committee of journalists. For this year’s award,\u00a0Smith is being judged on her play from Aug. 1 2022 to July 31, 2023, with both the Portland Thorns and USWNT.<\/p>\n
FC Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas has won back-to-back awards, while Megan Rapinoe is the lone American to win it in 2019. Norway’s Ada Hegerberg won the first iteration of it in 2018.<\/p>\n
Smith was named the 2022 NWSL MVP and U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after scoring 15 goals with Portland and another 11 with the U.S.<\/p>\n
She’s continued her world-class form in 2023, scoring twice in her World Cup debut against Vietnam and adding 11 goals and five assists with Portland.<\/p>\n
The ceremony will take place in Paris, France, on Oct. 30. A full list of both male and female nominees can be found here.<\/p>\n