2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or: Melchie Dumornay finishes fourth, the best ranking of her career

Haitian international Melchie Dumornay finished fourth in the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, whose rankings were revealed on Monday, 26 October, in London. It is the highest ranking of her career, a year after she placed 18th in 2025.

Spain’s Alexia Putellas (FC Barcelona) won the award for the third time, after 2021 and 2022. She finished ahead of Poland’s Ewa Pajor (FC Barcelona) and Jamaica’s Khadija “Bunny” Shaw (Manchester City). Dumornay, an OL Lyonnes midfielder, therefore finished just off the podium.

The ceremony, held in London for the first time, at the London Palladium, marked the Ballon d’Or’s 70th anniversary. According to Haiti Tempo, the player was not there: her club decided not to travel in order to prepare for a Champions League match against Inter Milan.

A huge season with Lyon

Nicknamed “Corventina,” Melchie Daëlle Dumornay was born on 17 August 2003 in Mirebalais and is 23. In the 2025-2026 season she helped OL Lyonnes win three domestic trophies: the Première Ligue, the Coupe de France and the Coupe LFFP. The club also reached the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, which it lost to FC Barcelona.

She was named the Première Ligue player of the season by the UNFP and received the title of CONCACAF best female player for 2025, Haiti Tempo and Radio Maximum FM note. With this fourth place she climbs 14 spots in a year, Le National points out.

“Lyon deserves more”

The result was a disappointment in Lyon, where Dumornay was seen as a serious contender, according to Lyon Foot. OL Lyonnes coach Jonatan Giraldez acknowledged the weight of Barça’s European title: “They won the Champions League, which was the most important title,” he told Le Progrès (translated from French).

He nonetheless regretted his team’s place in the rankings: “It is not normal that OL Lyonnes is not better represented. We were the second-best team.”