**Alexia Putellas leads trader sentiment for a top-three finish at the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, scheduled for October 26 at the London Palladium, after a season defined by Barcelona’s Champions League triumph and her individual contributions before her summer move to London City Lionesses.** Ewa Pajor sits as the clearest challenger thanks to her 11 Champions League goals, including a brace in the final, while Khadija Shaw’s 21 WSL goals and Manchester City’s league-cup double keep her in contention. Melchie Dumornay and Pernille Harder round out the next tier on the strength of their European campaigns. The absence of three-time winner Aitana Bonmatí due to injury has opened the race, but Putellas’s prior Ballon d’Or pedigree, Champions League Player of the Season honors, and broader team silverware have produced overwhelming market consensus. With the ceremony just days away, late narrative shifts around individual awards or national-team results remain the main variables that could alter final placements.