Ballon d'Or: Sam Kerr finishes on the podium for third consecutive time

Kieran Francis

Ballon d'Or: Sam Kerr finishes on the podium for third consecutive time image

Matildas superstar Sam Kerr has fallen just short of winning the Ballon d'Or after securing her third consecutive podium finish in football's most prestigious individual honour.

The Australian finished second - behind Spanish winner Aitana Bonmati - with a career-best placing for the award after finishing third in both 2021 and 2022.

Teenage Spanish winger Salma Paralluelo completed the podium as four members of Spain's victorious Women's World Cup team made the top 10.

MORE: Ballon d'Or 2023 winners, rankings, final awards results as Lionel Messi wins eighth trophy alongside Aitana Bonmati

Alongside French veteran Wendie Renard, Kerr has been nominated for every Ballon d'Or award since its inception for women's football in 2018.

Kerr finished fifth (2018) and seventh (2019) in the first two Ballon d'Or awards, and after the ceremony wasn't held because of COVID in 2020, the Australian had back-to-back third-place finishes behind winner Alexia Putellas in 2021 and 2022.

Ballon d'Or 2023 final results

Final Women's Ballon d'Or Top 10 rankings

Rank Player Nationality Club
WINNER Aitana Bonmati Spain Barcelona
2.  Sam Kerr Australia Chelsea
3.  Salma Paralluelo Spain Barcelona
4.  Fridolina Rolfo Sweden Barcelona
5.  Mary Earps England Man City
6.  Olga Carmona Spain Real Madrid
7.  Alexandra Popp Germany VfL Wolfsburg
8.  Patri Guijarro Spain Barcelona
9.  Linda Caicedo Colombia Real Madrid
10. Rachel Daly England Aston Villa

Other Women's awards:

Club of the Year: Barcelona (Spain / Primera Division Femenino)

Final Men's Ballon d'Or Top 30 rankings

Rank Player Nationality Club
WINNER Lionel Messi Argentina PSG
2. Erling Haaland Norway Man City
3. Kylian Mbappe France PSG
4. Kevin de Bruyne Belgium Man City
5. Rodri Spain Man City
6. Vinicius Jr Brazil Real Madrid
7. Julian Alvarez Argentina Man City
8.  Victor Osimhen Nigeria Napoli
9.  Bernardo Silva Portugal Man City
10. Luka Modric Croatia Real Madrid
11. Mohamed Salah Egypt Liverpool
12. Robert Lewandowski Poland Barcelona
13. Yassine Bounou Morocco Sevilla
14. Ilkay Gundogan Germany Man City/Barcelona
15. Emiliano Martinez Argentina Aston Villa
16. Karim Benzema France Real Madrid
17. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Georgia Napoli
18. Jude Bellingham England Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid
19. Harry Kane England Tottenham/Bayern Munich
20. Lautaro Martinez Argentina Inter Milan
21. Antoine Griezmann France Atletico Madrid
22. Kim Min-Jae South Korea Napoli/Bayern Munich
23. Andre Onana Cameroon Man United
24. Bukayo Saka England Arsenal
25. Josko Gvardiol Croatia RB Leipzig/Man City
26. Jamal Musiala Germany Bayern Munich
27. Nicolo Barella Italy Inter Milan
T-28. Randal Kolo Muani France Eintracht Frankfurt/PSG
T-28. Martin Odegaard Norway Arsenal
30. Ruben Dias Portugal Man City

Other Men's awards:

Kopa Trophy: Jude Bellingham (England / Borussia Dortmund)

Socrates Award: Vinicius Jr. (Brazil / Real Madrid)

Yashin Award: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina / Aston Villa)

Gerd Muller trophy: Erling Haaland (Norway / Man City)

Club of the Year: Manchester City (England / Premier League)

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.