Vivianne Miedema questions equality of Ballon d'Or
One of women's soccer's biggest stars has expressed her disappointment around one of soccer's biggest awards.
Arsenal striker and Dutch star Vivianne Miedema took the Ballon d'Or to task on BBC's Behind the Goals podcast, saying, "I didn't feel appreciated as a woman footballer there."
Of the seven honors awarded at the Ballon d'Or in 2022, six were for men and one was for women.
"If they want to make it equal, they have to give the same awards to men's and women's football," Miedema said.
Annually, the Ballon d'Or is awarded to the top performer in the men's game as determined by global soccer journalists. The men's award has been in existence dating back to 1956. This year's winner was Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.
The Ballon d'Or Feminin was first created and awarded in 2018. Miedema was shortlisted for it the following year. This year's winner was FC Barcelona's Alexis Putellas, and finishing in second was Arsenal forward and Miedema's partner, Beth Mead. Miedema and Mead attended the ceremony.
"We've got the No. 2 from that year, who should arguably have been No. 1, turning up to the event as ‘my guest,’ Miedema said. "That would obviously never happen if [Lionel] Messi and Neymar had been walking next to each other."
"If they want to have women involved, they have to do it in a different way," Miedema added.
