After winning the Ballon d'Or Feminin for two years in a row, Barcelona's Alexia Putellas will relinquish her crown in 2023 after an ACL injury ruled her out of almost the entire 2022-23 season. So, who will succeed her in being named the best women's player in the world?
The race for the 2023 Golden Ball is intriguing because, like Putellas, many of the game's best have been sidelined for significant periods with injuries - such as Lyon star Catarina Macario and the Arsenal duo of Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema.
With the European season over and the NWSL, the top-flight in the U.S., paused, we're now ready for the 2023 Women's World Cup, a tournament which will no doubt have a major impact on the battle for this prestigious individual award.
So who is leading the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or Feminin right now? GOAL takes a look at the front-runners...
*Note statistics are correct as of July 17, 2023. Previous update: June 6.