It's no surprise to see five Man City players up for the most prestigious award in all of football after dominating in England for the previous 12 months, and that's even continued into this season.
It wasn't just the attack or the defence which carried City to the Barclays Women's Super League title and the Adobe Women's FA Cup last time out, with two defenders up for the Ballon d'Or as well as a holding midfielder and two forward-thinking stars.
City are the only team in England to have more than two players nominated this year, and nobody could have had complaints if more players had been touted for glory.
Alex Greenwood
City's captain, leader and club legend. Greenwood has simply been a sublime piece of business from the BWSL champions who signed her over six years ago.
However, for a while there were questions over what her best position was: centre back, or left back? And in the beginning of last pre-season, it appeared as though AndrƩe Jeglertz wanted her in the heart of his defence, but that didn't last long.
In a friendly against Barcelona, when City were being thwarted by the Spanish giants, Greenwood was shifted to full back, and the rest is history, as she scored quickly after the position change, and the numbers, as well as the eye test, support Jeglertz's decision.
A lot of strings to her bow
Ever since she burst on the scene, teams have been terrified of Greenwood's dead ball ability, and that was showcased just a few weeks ago against Charlton Athletic when she netted the winning free-kick.
But it's more than putting keepers under direct pressure, as her in-swinging ability is unmatched. Last season she recorded five assists just from corners, which was more than double the closest player to her, and then it was just the 15 chances created from set pieces that put her second in the BWSL.
She is much more than just a set-piece specialist in a solid team, though. Last season, she registered 79 line-breaking passes, a stat that put her in the top 100 percentile among players in her position. So, for a player some people questioned when Jeglertz came to City, she's certainly managed to carry herself just fine.
So, while she does like to thread the ball forward to City's dangerous players higher up the pitch, she doesn't do so at the risk of her back four having gone an entire season without being dispossessed. That goes to show her ability on the ball is matched with her footballing IQ.
Kerstin Casparij
The Dutch international is the epitome of a nightmare for opponents. She is equally as competent in either final third, proving to be a nuisance to get past defensively, but has the athletic ability to breeze past players to join the attack in seconds.
She finished last season with the most assists in the BWSL as a full back, while also chipping in with three goals, but those strikes were very much those of a full back who has confidence in her ability.
For a defender to be so high up the pitch in a Manchester derby away from home highlights the faith she has to put in a great recovery run if needed, but also how trusting Jeglertz is in her ability to only go forward at the right moment.
It's not all about the glory of attacking and leaving her teammates short, as she made 40 tackles last season, the fourth most of any player in the BWSL.
More than just a defender
Teams simply do not know how to deal with Casparij. Try to press her, then she can spring forward and play as a second winger, sit back and hit her on the counter-attack; then she can recover at pace and not think twice about it.
A very underrated quality that will make Jeglertz very happy is how she is constantly available. Last season in the BWSL, the Dutch defender played 1844 minutes, only bettered by 10 other players and was the second most in the City squad. All the best players in the world, past and present, have always looked after themselves and been available for every match, and that is a big tick when it comes to Casparij.
Yui Hasegawa
To really understand the importance of Hasegawa in any team she plays in and how effortless she makes football look, you have to look deeper than her goals and assists.
That is because when she's away with Japan, she is allowed the freedom to venture further forward, which is what happened when she first came to England with West Ham. So, a decision to move a five-foot-two midfielder into a more defensive role certainly raised eyebrows, but she is now a vital piece of this well-oiled City machine.
Most holding midfielders rely on strength to hold off the opposition when being pressed, but Hasegawa is too smart for that method and instead relies solely on her natural ability, and is pretty much press-resistant
A standard setter
The Ballon d'Or is often based upon what you achieve with your club; for Hasegawa, that is a domestic double and country, which was the 2026 Asian Championships.
The Japanese international helped captain her side to continental glory, and it was much against the odds and media attention. The games were being held in Australia, so the hype and attention were certainly on the Matildas to do well, but Japan and Hasegawa were always one step ahead.
She registered the most assists in the competition with three, highlighting that she plays much further forward for Japan and has never lost her killer instinct.
But back with Man City, she didn't miss a beat and was thrust back into the spotlight as soon as possible, and that is largely because anything good usually begins with her receiving the ball off the defence. Her 1452 touches put her in the top 96 percentile for central midfielders, and the number of times she was pressed because of her size only makes those numbers more impressive.
Vivianne Miedema
A legend of the BWSL, Miedema has shown she can do it in different environments and in a more physical and technically advanced role as the number 10 at City.
Miedema will likely go down as the most nonchalant player the BWSL has ever seen. Always humble and just loves to be out on the pitch, and that spark has potentially never been brighter than these past 12 months in Manchester.
Nothing sums her up better than the goal she scored in City's Adobe Women's FA Cup final as she switched the ball to Casparij, and when she released the ball, Miedema had eight players in front of her who were closer to the goal.
However, when she eventually heads home on the biggest stage in English football, there are just two Brighton defenders ahead of her, and one she beats to the ball.
No matter her age or injuries, her desire to win and be the best player on the pitch is always there for people to see.
Nonchalantly brilliant
It's not just via highlights where the tall Dutch international shines, but the connections all over the pitch helped her put up 15 goals and assists last season, which was only bettered by teammate Shaw and Arsenal's Alessia Russo.
In just 19 league starts last term, she created 30 chances. A mind-blowing statistic, whichever way you look at it, but coupled with the fact that City have had an embarrassment of riches over the past 12 months in attack makes it even more impressive.
Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw
The most deadly woman in football? It would be very difficult to disagree with that statement after the 12 months Shaw has had in front of goal.
She recorded 21 goals in 21 BWSL matches. A goal every game should be unachievable when the league is so competitive, but the Jamaican international found a way to make it very reasonable, while only scoring two penalties in the process.
Everyone knows about the goals and attacking threat Shaw has whenever she crosses that white line, but the impact she has on the whole team differently is far less discussed.
A goal machine
Her height and physicality are such an underrated weapon when it comes to defending set pieces for City. Shaw is often situated at the front post and clears away any dangers as the first port of call, and made 27 clearances, putting her in the top 100 percentile amongst fellow strikers.
Along with her goalscoring ability, this is why City averaged 2.5 points per game whenever Shaw was on the pitch. Basically, when the dominant forward was out there, City had an incredibly high probability of coming away with the win.
To be putting up the numbers she does week in and week out for club and country - 10 goal involvements for Jamaica during CONCACAF Qualifying - there was little doubt she would be one of the first names on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.
Whoever does come away with the award, rest assured that these City players are going to be consistent nominations for seasons to come.
