Ireland captain Katie McCabe has been nominated for the women’s Ballon d’Or

The Ireland star has had an outstanding 12 months and played a key role in leading her country to their first World Cup and helping Arsenal to their first Champions League semi-finals in a decade.

The midfielder also won the Women’s Super League Goal of the Season award last June and helped the Gunners to a third-place finish and the League Cup.

As well as her club successes, the Dublin native also featured prominently in Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers, finishing as the side’s top scorer with seven goals over the season and also their most shared appearances (nine).

The 27-year-old also scored Ireland’s only goal at last summer’s World Cup in Australia. Her goal against Canada, right from a corner, was also nominated for Goal of the Tournament.

Thirty players have been nominated for the award, including Chelsea’s Millie Bright and Sam Kerr, and Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on Monday October 30th.

After the news was confirmed, Ireland’s Twitter account posted “Our own Katie McCabe. Proud of our captain.”

Shortlisted for the Female Ballon d’Or 2023

Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon, France); Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid, Colombia); Alba Redondo (Levante, Spain); Rachel Daly (Aston Villa, UK); Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona, ​​Sweden); Olga Carmona (Real Madrid, Spain); Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich, England); Amanda Ilestedt (Arsenal, Sweden); Hayley Raso (Real Madrid, Australia); Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns, USWNT); Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona, ​​Spain); Millie Bright (Chelsea, England); Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United, Japan); Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg, Germany); Daphne van Domselaar (Aston Villa, Netherlands); Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, ​​Spain); Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg, Poland); Guro Riding (Chelsea, Norway); Sam Kerr (Chelsea, Australia); Debinha (Kansas City Current, Brazil); Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona, ​​Spain); Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg, Germany); Katie McCabe (Arsenal, Republic of Ireland); Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City, Japan); Jill Roord (Manchester City, Netherlands); Wendie Renard (Lyon, France); Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona, ​​Nigeria); Mary Earps (Manchester United, England); Mapi Leon (Barcelona, ​​Spain); Khadija Shaw (Manchester City, Jamaica).