Sam Kerr earns Ballon d’Or nomination

Sam Kerr is the only Australian footballer, male or female, to make the shortlist for prestigious soccer award.

Sam Kerr scores for the Chicago Red Stars against Portland Thorns FC during the NWSL playoffs on Sunday Picture: AP

Sam Kerr is the only Australian footballer, male or female, to make the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or.

The Matildas captain is one of 20 nominees in the running to claim the prestigious individual award.

Kerr was fifth in the inaugural women’s Ballon d’Or last year. The 26-year-old has had another outstanding season for club and country, finishing top of the scoring charts for Perth Glory in the W-League and leading Chicago Red Stars to the final of the United States’ NWSL.

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Kerr scored the only goal in their semi-final win and scooped the golden boot for the third time in a row.

In June, Kerr became the only Australian to score a World Cup hat-trick when she netted four times in the Matildas’ group win over Jamaica.

Unfortunately for the local game in Australia, Kerr appears set to test herself in Europe next with FFA head of leagues Greg O’Rourke telling the ABC they were not “able to retain” the superstar’s services as the W-League’s marquee player. United States co-captains Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, who both scored six goals during the World Cup, are among the favourites while last year’s inaugural award winner Ada Hegerberg is also among the nominees.

Lionel Messi will have Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk as rivals for the 2019 Ballon d’Or award, but not Neymar.

When the long list of 30 candidates was announced the Brazil star’s name was missing from the nominations by a global voting panel of journalists.

Messi and Ronaldo’s 10-year grip on the individual award organised by France Football magazine was broken by Luka Modric last December.

Modric is also absent one year after he swept the Ballon d’Or and FIFA best player awards after a stellar 2018 with Real Madrid and Croatia.

The Women’s Ballon d’Or winner will be named in Paris on December 2. WOMEN’S BALLON D’OR NOMINEES Sam Kerr (Chicago Red Stars) Lucy Bronze (Lyon) Ellen White (Manchester City) Nilla Fischer (VfL Wolfsburg) Amandine Henry (Lyon) Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride) Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal) Dzenifer Marozsan (Lyon) Pernille Harder (VfL Wolfsburg) Sarah Bouhaddi (Lyon) Marta (Orlando Pride) Ada Hegerberg (Lyon) Kosovare Asllani (CD Tacon) Sofia Jakobsson (CD Tacon) Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns) Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC) Lieke Martens (Barcelona) Sari van Veenendaal (Atletico Madrid) Wendie Renard (Lyon) Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit)