It’s just sad to see people not get the credit they actually deserve. This reminds us of the time when Naomi Girma was surprisingly snubbed from the 2024 Ballon d’Or nominations. While the USWNT star won’t be one to complain, as the majority of the soccer world did come to her support for not getting her due recognition, the defender did get a shoutout from ESPN days later. That finally saw Girma share how ‘exciting‘ it is to rightfully enjoy the spotlight by taking a sly dig at the Ballon d’Or.

For those unaware of the limelight that the San Diego Wave center-back is basking in, ESPN FC recently released its annual Top 50 Women’s Soccer Players ranking. Of course, all the big names you could expect made the cut. While Aitana Bonmati claimed the top spot, Naomi Girma’s surprising second-place finish stood out—especially since she hadn’t even made this year’s 30-player Ballon d’Or nominations. Her impressive achievement came ahead of both her USWNT teammates and NWSL rivals, finally giving her the recognition she deserved.

Interestingly, Girma was called up for a virtual appearance in ESPN’s Futbol W to address her second-place finish alongside hosts and respective USMNT and USWNT icons, Sebastian Salazar and Ali Krieger. When asked how it feels to carry the flag for all defenders everywhere, Girma responded, “I think it’s exciting. We do a lot of work back there that goes unnoticed, so I think it’s exciting for me and for all defenders to see that, and the work is being recognized. It’s something that is such a big part of our game.”

Indeed, a well-said response from Girma, who, more than about her own happiness, seems ecstatic to represent the defenders at such a top spot. No wonder it seems a sly dig at the Golden Ball award stakeholders, who earned criticism from all quarters for not including Girma in the list at all. Then again, this ESPN list also had a few faults that the soccer world didn’t hesitate to spare. For starters, while Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman took the 5th and 8th spots, respectively, Mallory Swanson was seen in 15th place.

Additionally, Alyssa Naeher, who finished 17th in the 30-player Ballon d’Or rankings, secured 30th place, with Rose Lavelle taking the 44th spot. The demand for justice didn’t stop there, as NWSL’s top scorer and Malawian forward Temwa Chawinga, who scored 21 goals and provided 6 assists in 26 games—along with winning the NWSL X LIGA MX F Summer Cup—was ranked 19th.

Then again, this is the least Naomi Girma can have to celebrate at this moment. In fact, a USWNT icon believes she will have time for much bigger things!

Casey Murphy says ‘time will come’ for Naomi Girma to receive her deserved recognition

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, USWNT goalkeeper Casey Murphy expressed her astonishment at Naomi Girma’s absence from the list of entrants and emphasized that the defender truly deserved to be included alongside the other names on the list. “I personally think Naomi is one of the best defenders in the world. I’m not too sure how the nomination process works or super familiar with it, but there’s no doubt her time will come in that recognition,” Murphy stated.

Notably, the beautiful game has mostly seen the forwards and midfielders of the world get recognition at all the prestigious awards like the Ballon d’Or and FIFA The Best. However, getting such an honorary shoutout from an icon like Murphy as well as ESPN FC’s Top 50 Women’s Soccer Players ranking surely makes Naomi Girma proud.