It's not Christian Pulisic, the only american who has made the Ballon de Or shortlist

The Ballon d'Or shortlist has been announced, and the names on it are certainly worth anticipating. Players like Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and others have a date with history on October 30th in Paris.

At the moment, the battle is primarily between Haaland and Messi. Both have achieved significant successes last season, and the dilemma seems to be whether to choose the current star of football or its future.

In Messi's case, he has won the Ballon d'Or seven times, specifically in the editions of 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Similarly, in the women's list, there are standout names of players who had an exceptional performance last season. The most prominent among them is Aitana Bonmati, who won the UEFA Women's Player of the Year award and recently claimed the Women's Champions League with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain. However, only one player from the United States made it onto the women's Ballon d'Or shortlist. On the contrary, any player from the U.S made it onto the men's list.

Who is it?

It's the current player for the Portland Timbers, Sofia Smith, and she is currently the only representative of the USWNT on the list of 30 players vying for the world football's top honor.