Amid all the drama surrounding Vinicius Jr.’s snub and Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or, the prestigious event has already found itself on the chopping block. However, it seems the criticism towards the event keeps boiling, as Emma Hayes highlighted a significant concern. Many noticed that she and her USWNT side could not attend this year’s ceremony, which points directly to a larger issue regarding the event.

The reason for their absence stems from ongoing friendly matches for the USWNT, scheduled to compete against Argentina shortly. Consequently, neither players nor staff could arrive in France for the festivities. This overlap between the Ballon d’Or timing and Women’s International fixtures isn’t new and poses challenges for these athletes and coaches.

Emma Hayes, who won the Ballon d’Or for Women’s Coach Of The Year, discussed this issue regarding how she didn’t even get the chance to collect her award in front of an audience. She drew an apt comparison stating, “It would be like running an Oscars, or Golden Globes without having any female present, it just wouldn’t happen.”

The matter of equality within soccer has always been prominent. Now, the ex-Chelsea boss’ remarks add weight to this discussion by calling out France Football’s apparent neglect of women’s soccer. This is a big point, and coming from someone like Emma Hayes, this sure has to force Ballon d’Or to reevaluate its approach.

However, for Ballon d’Or, this is not the end of all complaints surrounding inclusivity regarding women’s soccer. The issues that have been raised are certainly way bigger.

Emma Hayes and Aitana Bonmati won, but what about the others?

Another significant concern coming to light is the scarcity of trophies and acknowledgment of women’s soccer. There is the Women’s Ballon d’Or which Aitana Bonamti won, Women’s Coach of the Year which Emma Hayes won, and the Women’s Club of the Year which FC Barcelona Femeni won. However, that’s just it and beyond these recognitions, there remains a void.

Journalist Kathryn Batte highlighted this point, stating, “A reminder that there is still not a female equivalent of the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or.” Additionally, she echoed Emma Hayes’ sentiments regarding scheduling conflicts with the event happening during the Women’s International window.

Another gap noted is the lack of a women’s counterpart to the Kopa Trophy for outstanding young talent—the same one secured by rising Spanish star Lamine Yamal. These are no doubt some serious complaints. It will be interesting to see if we have some changes going forward from next year.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.