UEFA Women's Player of the Year nominees: Beth Mead, Lena Oberdorf, Alexia Putellas

Beth Mead, Lena Oberdorf and Alexia Putellas are the three nominees for the 2021/22 UEFA Women's Player of the Year award.

The winner will be named – along with the UEFA Men's Player of the Year and UEFA Men's and Women's Coach of the Year – during the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League draw ceremony in Istanbul on Thursday 25 August.

UEFA Women's Player of the Year nominees

Beth MeadUEFA

Beth Mead (Arsenal/England)
Right-sided attacker Mead had a spectacular Arsenal season with 14 goals and 19 assists but it was with England that she stood out even further. She already had a team single-season best 14 goals for her country before UEFA Women's EURO 2022 and in the final tournament Mead scored a record-equalling six as she ended Player of the Tournament and Top Scorer in England's historic triumph.

Lena OberdorfUEFA

Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg/Germany)
At just 20, Oberdorf is already one of the world's top holding midfielders, able also to play across the defence. She played a crucial role in Wolfsburg winning the domestic double and reaching the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals, knocking out Chelsea and Arsenal, and was then key to Germany's run to the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 final. Oderdorf was Young Player of the Tournament.

Alexia PutellasUEFA

Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain)
The winner of this award last season, Alexia's reputation only grew in 2021/22. She had the most prolific season of her club career with 34 goals as Barcelona won a clean sweep of Spanish trophies and reached another UEFA Women's Champions League final. Alexia's strike in that game could not prevent a 3-1 loss to Lyon but meant she finished the 11-goal Top Scorer and was named the competition's Player of the Season. Her ACL injury on the eve of UEFA Women's EURO 2022 prevented her from playing in the final tournament and she will be badly missed by club and country during her rehabilitation.

The rest of the top 20

4 Alex Popp (Wolfsburg/Germany) – 35 points
5 Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona/Spain) – 25 points
6 Keira Walsh (Manchester City/England) – 18 points
7 Leah Williamson (Arsenal/England) – 17 points
8= Ada Hegerberg (Lyon/Norway) – 12 points
8= Wendie Renard (Lyon/France) – 12 points
10 Lina Magull (Bayern München/Germany) – 10 points
11 Delphine Cascarino (Lyon/France) – 9 points
12= Amandine Henry (Lyon) – 8 points
12= Mapi León (Barcelona/Spain) – 8 points
14 Tabea Wassmuth (Wolfsburg/Germany) – 6 points
15= Mary Earps (Manchester United/England) – 5 points
15= Selma Bacha (Lyon/France) – 5 points
17= Sakina Karchaoui (Paris Saint-Germain/France) – 4 points
17= Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain/France) – 4 points
19 Merle Frohms (Eintracht Frankfurt, now Wolfsburg/Germany) – 2 points
20 Fridolina Rolfö (Barcelona/Sweden) – 1 point
21= Christiane Endler (Lyon/Chile)
21= Marina Hegering (Bayern München, now Wolfsburg/Germany)

What is the UEFA Women's Player of the Year award?

For this award, players in Europe, irrespective of nationality, have been judged in regard to their performances over the whole season in all competitions – both domestically and internationally – at either club or national team level.

How were the players shortlisted?

An initial shortlist of 22 players was selected by UEFA's technical study group.

The top three nominees were voted for by a jury comprising the following:

• The coaches of the 16 clubs that participated in the group stage of the 2021/22 UEFA Women's Champions League
• The coaches of the 16 nations that played at UEFA Women's EURO 2022
• A group of journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM)

Jury members chose their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. Coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own team.