THREE BAYERN MUNICH STARS IN THE RACE FOR THE 2026 BALLON D’OR

Women’s football continues to strengthen its position within the global sports industry, and the 2026 Ballon d’Or Féminin is another reflection of just how international and competitive the women’s game has become.

Three Bayern Munich players — Klara Bühl, Pernille Harder and Momoko Tanikawa — have been named among the nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Three different careers and three different football stories are united by one thing: each has become an important part of Bayern’s success and the evolution of modern European women’s football.

The nomination of young Japanese star Momoko Tanikawa is particularly symbolic. Her emergence among the world’s leading players reflects a much broader trend: the geography of women’s football is rapidly expanding, with new stars emerging far beyond Europe’s traditional football markets.

An important part of this global transformation is DAZN, an official partner of the Ballon d’Or. For the international sports media platform, the partnership is a natural extension of its commitment to increasing the visibility of women’s football and bringing the game to a global audience.

Today’s leading female footballers are no longer simply professional athletes. They are becoming international media personalities, ambassadors and powerful brands in their own right. Alongside them, the entire industry is growing — from audiences and commercial partnerships to media rights and interest from global companies.

The nominations of Bühl, Harder and Tanikawa are therefore more than recognition of individual achievement. They are another indication of how rapidly the landscape of women’s football is changing.

Women’s football is no longer an industry of the future. It is becoming a global sports business today.