Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie at the Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday night
By Dianabasi Effiong
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has congratulated Chianaka Nnadozie, the Super Falcons, and Brighton & Hove Albion of England’s goalkeeper on her fourth-place finish at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, in Paris on Monday night.
Nnadozie, Africa’s Best Goalkeeper for the past two years, was also named Goalkeeper of the Tournament for this summer’s Women Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, where she played a key role in Nigeria’s 10th triumph.
“We heartily congratulate Chiamaka Nnadozie on her fourth-place finish in the race. It is a commendable feat given the calibre of goalkeepers she was up against. Finishing fourth is a big achievement and we believe in her capacity to win this trophy very soon,” the NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said.
Sanusi also hailed the Super Falcons’ Head Coach, Justine Madugu, who also finished fourth in the Women’s Coach of the Year category.
“Coach Madugu’s feat further underscores the fact that the NFF was right to have given him the Super Falcons’ head coach role, which had earlier been validated with him leading the team to victory at the WAFCON in Morocco. We congratulate him on this feat and wish him victory in the awards in the coming years,” he said
Nnadozie finished fourth behind England and Chelsea FC’s Hannah Hampton, who took home the Trophée Yachine (named after former Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin), Gotham FC’s Ann-Katrin Berger, and Barcelona FC’s Cata Coll.
She, however, finished above Arsenal FC’s Daphne van Domselaar in the Top Five.
Madugu was fourth in a race won by Sarina Wiegman, who led England to the UEFA Women’s Championship title.
Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor, Brazil’s Arthur Elias, and Arsenal FC’s Renée Slegers were also in the race.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won the top prizes at the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony.
Dembele helped PSG to become the first French side to win a continental treble last season.
He defeated Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for the men’s award on Monday night in Paris.
Spanish international, Bonmati, won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for the third year in a row, edging Mariona Caldentey.
Ousmane Dembele becomes the first player to win the Ballon d’Or while representing a club from his country at the time of the ceremony since Englishman Michael Owen (Liverpool) in 2001.
Barcelona Femení superstar Aitana Bonmatí, in her latest feat, became the first player to ever win the Ballon d’Or Féminin three times
The midfielder had lifted the previous two individual titles following collective dominance with Barcelona and Spain.
She completed her hat-trick at Monday’s ceremony.
Mercurial Lionel Messi was the last player to ever win three Ballon d’Or crowns on the spin, picking up four from 2009 to 2012.
Former French midfielder, Michel Platini is the only other individual to win the prestigious honour in three successive seasons (1983–1985).
As the defending champion, Bonmatí’s triumph is hardly a shock, but the fleet-footed schemer did not enjoy quite the same universal acclaim as in years gone by.
Barcelona’s domestic dominance was underscored by a trio of trophies on home soil.
However, the Catalans did lose two league games—as many as they recorded across the previous five seasons combined.
After two years as the undisputed centrepiece of Barcelona and the Spain national team, while Alexia Putellas— a two-time Ballon d’Or winner herself —recovered from an ACL tear, Bonmatí had to readjust to a new role back in tandem with her compatriot.
This champagne problem still saw both players hit double digits for goals and assists as Barcelona returned to the Champions League final for the fifth season running.
However, after two successive titles, Bonmatí and her teammates were stunned by a disciplined Arsenal side, which battled out a 1–0 win in Lisbon.
Bonmatí would suffer heartbreak at the hands of English opposition two months later, watching on in disbelief as her spot kick was saved in Spain’s penalty shootout defeat to England in the Euro 2025 final.
Yet, the fact that Bonmatí was on the pitch at all is a testament to her tenacious character.
The 27-year-old prepared for the tournament in the hospital while being treated for viral meningitis.
In typically defiant fashion, Bonmatí was fit enough to come off the bench in the first match of the group stage and had already won her place back by the knockouts.
It was Bonmatí’s thumping finish from an impossible angle that skipped past Germany’s Ann-Katrin Berger for the only goal of the semifinal.
The UEFA technical committee was not alone in hailing her as the Player of the Tournament.
In the immediate aftermath of the Euro 2025 final, Bonmatí fronted up to the media, saying: “I’m in shock. We gave everything. I must apologize for missing my penalty and congratulate England.”
Yet, as everyone in Spain was all too quick to point out, Bonmatí need not apologise for anything.
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