Khadija “Bunny” Shaw knows what it takes to finish a season as the Women’s Super League’s leading scorer. She has now done it three years running. In 2025–26, that consistency also helped Manchester City secure a domestic double, setting the stage for the Jamaican striker’s highest finish yet in the Women’s Ballon d’Or.
Shaw placed third at the ceremony in London on October 26th, behind winner Alexia Putellas and runner-up Ewa Pajor. The result made her the highest-placed Jamaican in the award’s history. Manchester City also confirmed that she became the club’s highest-ranked female player and the highest-ranked Afro-Caribbean player in the history of the award.
Asked by DAZN Women’s Football what the Ballon d’Or means to a player, Shaw focused on the years of effort behind the recognition.
“It means a lot. It means that all the hard work, sacrifice and consistency that you put in throughout the years has finally paid off, so just to be nominated is a wonderful feeling.”
The Goals That Helped Deliver a Double
Shaw scored 21 goals in 22 WSL appearances during the 2025–26 campaign, securing her third consecutive Golden Boot. This time, her goals also helped City win the league title.
She then opened the scoring in the FA Cup final against Brighton & Hove Albion, putting City on course for a 4–0 victory and a domestic double. Manchester City’s season assessment credited her with 35 goal involvements in 32 appearances across all competitions.
Those numbers were accompanied by the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year and WSL Player of the Season awards. Together, they show how widely her performances were recognised before the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
In the discussion accompanying the announcement of her FWA award, Shaw’s sustained scoring record was a central point. The assessment extended beyond one successful campaign to her ability to keep producing for City over several seasons.
Her manager, speaking in the same video, also drew attention to the work surrounding the goals, saying she was “contributing with so much more for this team”. He described his own responsibility as getting Shaw into the positions where she could finish chances.
The Ballon d’Or’s official profile highlights her strength, aerial ability and positional awareness, qualities that allow her to occupy central defenders and drop between the lines to create space for advancing teammates. City’s assessment also credits her pressing, hold-up play and link-up work, making her both a focal point and a provider in an attack that delivered two major trophies.
This paints a fuller picture of the player who finished third: a prolific finisher whose work also helps the attack function around her.
Remembering What Keeps Her Going
For Jamaican football, the placing establishes a new standard at one of the sport’s most prominent individual awards. Shaw has previously spoken about understanding that her career carries significance for girls who want opportunities in the game.
In an earlier interview with BBC Sport’s MOTDx, she described the limited opportunities available to female players growing up in Jamaica and the encouragement she drew from meeting young supporters after the country qualified for the Women’s World Cup.
“What motivates me to keep going is where I’m coming from,” she told the programme.
Her latest achievement adds to what those young players can see a Jamaican footballer accomplish. Shaw, meanwhile, used her Instagram post after the ceremony to acknowledge the people who had helped her reach that position.
“I am truly grateful for how far I have come, the lessons I have learned along the way, and everyone who has supported and believed in me throughout this journey.”
