Women's Soccer

The nominees for the Ballon d’Or (best soccer player of the year) were released on Wednesday and five American women were named to the 30-player shortlist. Shockingly, star defender Naomi Girma wasn’t one of the five.

The Ballon d'Or is an annual award determined by French magazine "France Football."

Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan and Alyssa Naeher were the five USWNT players nominated for the prestigious award.

The National Women's Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association have agreed to a collective bargaining agreement that will eliminate the draft, guarantee contracts and grant unrestricted free agency to all players.

The deal runs through the 2030 season and already has been ratified by the players. It replaces the previous CBA that was set to expire in 2026.

New NWSL CBA details

New Zealand captain Ali Riley has revealed her soccer career may be over due to the nerve injury that ruled her out of the Paris Olympics.

The 36-year-old defender was withdrawn from selection on the eve of the Football Ferns' opening match against Canada at the Games.

"Even now, when I don't know if I'll ever be able to play soccer again, that's the reality of the injury I have now," Riley told a Q&A session at an event promoting girls in sport in Los Angeles.

Kelley O’Hara made her grand return to the pitch Sunday night for Gotham FC after missing the previous five months battling a knee injury. The home crowd gave the 36-year-old United States women’s national team icon a roaring ovation when she entered the game in the 85th minute during a friendly against Chelsea.

O’Hara is playing in her final NWSL season as she’s announced she will retire at the end of the year. Her last season with Gotham FC hasn’t been a dream final chapter of her career as she’s been sidelined since March.

National Soccer Hall of Famer Landon Donovan took over on Friday as the interim head coach of the NWSL's San Diego Wave.

Landon Donovan announced as San Diego Wave interim coach

Donovan, 42, takes over for Paul Buckle, who had been serving as the team's interim coach but had agreed to the role only for the summer.

The U.S. women’s national team conquered the 2024 Paris Olympics after defeating Brazil for the highly-anticipated Gold Medal — and they did in front of the largest at-home crowd ever.

USWNT-Brazil Paris 2024 Gold Medal match: the most-watched Olympics soccer game in NBC history