BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2018 is open for voting

BBC World Service announce the shortlist for the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award and voting is now open.

Published: 22 April 2018
Now in its fourth year, the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year celebrates not only the fantastic skill and commitment of the individual players, but also the rapidly growing popularity of the women’s game.
— Mary Hockaday, Controller of BBC World Service English

The 2018 shortlisted footballers are:

  • Lucy Bronze Country: England Club: Olympique Lyonnais
  • Pernille Harder Country: Denmark Club: Vfl Wolfsburg
  • Sam Kerr Country: Australia Club: Chicago Red Stars/Perth Glory
  • Dzsenifer Marozsán Country: Germany Club: Olympique Lyonnais
  • Lieke Martens Country: Netherlands Club: FC Barcelona Femeni

Mary Hockaday, Controller of BBC World Service English says: “Now in its fourth year, the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year celebrates not only the fantastic skill and commitment of the individual players, but also the rapidly growing popularity of the women’s game. Across the globe, millions of women are playing football, crowds are growing, and anticipation is building ahead of next year’s Women’s World Cup. The five shortlisted players are at the top of their game, and fans around the world now have a chance to vote for their favourite player.”

The shortlist was announced during BBC World Service’s programme Sportsworld. The vote will close on 8 May (0800 GMT) and the winner of the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2018 will be revealed on Tuesday 22 May 2018 during Sport Today on BBC World Service at 1830-1900 GMT, on BBC World News and online bbc.com/womensfootball  and on BBC social media channels.

The shortlist was selected by a large panel of experts involved in the game from all around the world, including coaches, players, administrators and journalists.

Quotes from shortlisted players on being nominated:

Lucy Bronze says: It’s a huge honour to be nominated. I’ve always looked at the list the past couple of years and… it’s international players who’ve been successful for their country as well as their clubs. It’s a very small group that have ever been nominated so it feels more special in that respect.”

Pernille Harder says: “It’s an honour. A nomination like this is one of the things you work really hard for your whole career to get to that point so I’m really happy to be nominated. 2017 was a really good year for me - both for the teams I played in and for me personally so of course I'm happy about it.”

Sam Kerr says: “I guess it’s pretty crazy to think out of the whole world there’s only five players (that have) been nominated. There are so many great players that I look up to and I don’t put myself in the same sentence as them so obviously it’s a huge honour and a pretty surreal feeling to be honest.”

Dzsenifer Marozsán says: “It’s really nice to hear that I have been nominated. I just love to play soccer every day, to win with my team and it makes me happy and lucky every day to be on the pitch.”

Lieke Martens says: “It’s really nice to be nominated for this award, it’s been an amazing season. 2017 has been amazing for me (so) to be nominated is a big honour. This year everything has come through for me so it’s up to me to continue doing what I have been doing and (I) just want to be a better football player.”

Voting information:

The public can vote online for free on bbc.com/womensfootball

Further details about the awards and terms & conditions are online bbc.com/womensfootball

Audiences can follow the competition on radio through Sportsworld on BBC World Service, and on the dedicated pages on bbc.com/womensfootball.

Information and updates on the competition will also be available on social media on BBC World Service’s Facebook and on Twitter via @bbcworldservice, plus on BBC Sport’s Facebook and Twitter @bbcsport. Audiences can get involved by using the # hashtag #BBCWFOTY2018.

Last year’s winner was Norwegian footballer Ada Hegerberg who plays for Olympique Lyonnais. The 2016 winner was Scottish footballer Kim Little who plays for Arsenal, and the 2015 winner was Nigerian footballer Asisat Oshoala who now plays for Dalian Quanjian Football Club in China.

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