Tessa Wullaert, the Belgian captain who led Inter Women to victory in the women's Serie A, has been added to the list of 30 candidates for the Women's Ballon d'Or, occupying 19th place in the final ranking. The recognition comes after a successful season in which he scored 14 goals in 22 games, helping lead the Nerazzurri to first place and qualify for the Champions League. In the summer, Wullaert moved to Como 1907, where she has already scored four goals in four league games, proving that she is still an offensive point of reference.
The Ballon d'Or, which will be held this evening in London, saw the Belgian enter among the top twenty players in the world, surpassing prominent names such as the Dutch Vivianne Miedema, the American Rose Levelle, the French Ewa Pajor and Malard, and the English Lucy Greenwood. The result was particularly significant for Italian football, where the list of candidates does not include any players after the presence of Manuela Giugliano (27th), Sofia Cantore (24th) and Cristiana Girelli (16th) in the previous edition. The absence of other Italians underlines the importance of Wullaert as a representative of the Italian championship in international competition.
Among the ten finalists of the Women's Ballon d'Or include high-profile names such as Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current), Melchie Dumornay (Lyon), Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona), Patri Guijarro (Barcelona), Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich), Ewa Pajor (Barcelona), Claudia Pina (Barcelona), Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/London City Lionesses), Alessia Russo (Arsenal) and Khadija Shaw (Manchester City). Wullaert, with her experience and consistent performances, stands out as the only Italian player to reach the top 20 of the rankings.
Wullaert's 19th place was achieved thanks to a series of decisive goals and leadership that guided Como to a promising season. The international recognition strengthens her position as one of the best European center forwards and confirms her role as an ambassador for Italian women's football. With the Champions League in sight and the league season still underway, Wullaert is ready to continue to influence the game and take Como to new heights.