Gotham FC’s Rose Lavelle, Ann-Katrin Berger Nominated for 2026 Ballon d’Or Awards
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Sept. 8, 2026) - Gotham FC stars Rose Lavelle and Ann-Katrin Berger have received nominations for two of the most prestigious individual awards in global women’s soccer, presented by France Football magazine.
Lavelle is a nominee for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Féminin, awarded annually to the world’s best women’s soccer player. Berger is one of five nominees for the 2026 Women’s Yashin Trophy, which honors the best goalkeeper in the world and is part of the Ballon d’Or ceremony. The nomination marks Berger’s second consecutive year as a finalist for the award.
The nominations follow pivotal performances from Lavelle and Berger in Gotham FC’s run to the 2025 NWSL Championship and continued standout play in 2026. Lavelle scored the lone goal in Gotham FC’s 1-0 victory in the NWSL Championship, securing the club’s second league title in three seasons and earning NWSL Championship MVP honors, while Berger posted a clean sheet in the title match. Following their standout campaigns, Lavelle was named the 2025 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year and Berger earned 2025 German Female Player of the Year honors.
Lavelle has continued to be an influential figure in Gotham FC’s midfield in 2026, appearing in 22 matches across all competitions with 19 starts and four goals. She has twice been named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month this season after also earning the honor twice in 2025.
Berger has remained one of the NWSL’s top goalkeepers in 2026, recording 12 shutouts in 24 appearances across all competitions with a 0.809 goals-against average. She currently leads the NWSL in shutouts and has tied Gotham FC’s single-season club record with 10 regular season clean sheets.
Berger recorded a clean sheet across two starts in the 2026 FIFA Champions Cup at the start of the year and earned another in the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup this summer, helping Gotham FC win its first Challenge Cup title.
The nomination continues Berger’s run of recognition among the world’s top goalkeepers. She was also nominated for the Women’s Yashin Trophy in 2025 following a standout campaign in which she was named the 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year and German Footballer of the Year.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or and Women’s Yashin Trophy will be awarded Oct. 26 in London.
