Women’s football is exploding, with record attendances across the globe, vastly increased media coverage, and a surge in grassroots participation.

The eighth edition of the Women’s Ballon d’or is as much a celebration of that than it is a recognition of 30 remarkable footballers.

Yet not one of these elite athletes, acclaimed in 2026, reached the zenith of their profession on talent alone. They required resilience and character to combat archaic prejudices. They had to mine deep into self-belief to overcome obstacles that should not exist.

Some have even been forced to turn to activism to ensure fairness prevails in the game, a sport they love and care for.

In acknowledgement of this, here are seven inspirational quotes attributed to players who did not simply score goals, succeed, and enjoy the subsequent glory. They helped raise the standard of the world around them along the way.    

Caroline Graham Hansen – The Truthteller

“Unfortunately, we live in a world that is not equal at all. This means that it doesn’t matter if you play football or you have a normal job, you have to prove yourself as a woman while the men just get to be who they want to be”

Widely regarded as one of the greatest attacking talents of her generation, Hansen made her international bow aged just 16, going on to make 127 appearances for Norway to date.

For Barcelona, she has fired 64 goals in 120 outings, helping Blaugrana conquer Europe on four occasions and win seven Liga F titles.

She finished runner-up in the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or.

Two years earlier, she was asked by SoccerBible what hurdles she had faced breaking into a ‘male dominated game’.

Despite admitting that she doesn’t feel comfortable when the spotlight is on her, Hansen’s words carried as much power as one of her shots.

Pernille Harder – The Trailblazer

"Afterwards, we were proud that we had stood up for ourselves and made the change"

In the autumn of 2017 the Danish national team went on strike seeking basic employment rights comparable to the men's team.

Just months prior, De rød-hvide had lit up the final of that summer’s Euros, inspired by Harder, a player of rising renown.

The brilliant playmaker finished runner-up in the following year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or, thereafter nominated a further three times.

The inclusion of this world-class talent in the dispute brought wide attention and in due course an agreement was reached, improving the financial backing and conditions for the national squad.

Harder’s stance – and that of her team-mates - served as a catalyst for other international women's teams to demand fair treatment.

Wendie Renard – The Dreamcatcher

"It is important to believe in your dreams because if we don't believe in ourselves, no one will ever believe in us”

When the six-time Ballon d’or nominee was seven years old she used to play football in the playground because that’s what every child on the island of Martinique did. She played purely for fun.

A year later, her father passed away.

This tragedy lit a fire under Renard, igniting an inexorable drive that has brought 168 French caps and a staggering 18 league titles and eight Champions League triumphs with OL Lyonnes.

When the legendary defender speaks of dreams – and the attainment of them – she knows what she is talking about.

Alexia Putellas – The perfectionist

“My main goal is to be better day after day and push my limits”

At school, Putellas was dubbed the ‘Maradona of the playground’ for dribbling past the boys as if they were broomsticks.

Football came naturally to her. It was a gift.

Yet even copious quantities of innate ability only gets a player so far. It certainly doesn’t singlehandedly propel an individual to the rare heights the Catalonian has reached, winning a World Cup with Spain, countless honours with Barcelona, and back-to-back Ballon d’Or triumphs.

What is needed too is an insatiable desire to improve, the likes and intensity of which only high-achievers dig down into.

Khadija Shaw – The resilient spirit

“The advice I'd give to my younger self is that difficult times are ahead, but you're going to get through it. Tough times don't last… tough people do”

A prolific goalscorer for club and country, ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s stats defy conventional logic, converting 86 goals in 95 for Manchester City and 66 in 45 outings for Jamaica.

It may be tempting to believe therefore that her career – and life – has been a straight and steady trajectory to the top.

Such thinking, however, overlooks the fact that she had to fight for attention in a very large family, Shaw being the youngest of 13 siblings.

Or that she moved to the US, aged just 16, with nothing but a burgeoning reputation to justify each and every time she stepped onto a pitch.

That takes resilience of spirit. That takes heart.  

Vivianne Miedema – The empathetic hero

"Taking care of your feelings is the most important and bravest thing you can do; be gentle with yourself"

In 2025, to accompany Mental Health Awareness Month, the Manchester City midfielder took to Instagram to post the message above.

Alongside a photograph showing the player walking down a scenic pier, she also candidly shared that she felt ‘overwhelmed’ in that moment, as she dealt with injuries and ‘processing the season’.

The two-time Ballon d’Or nominee often uses her social media to uplift, saying elsewhere on the platform that football is more than a game, giving her a community and a purpose.

Mariona Caldentey – The foundation setter

"We have to try to leave football better for the next generations than it is now"

In one short sentence, the Spanish forward perfectly sums up the pervading attitude – in both thoughts and actions – of so many of the elite women’s footballers in the modern era.

There is altruism and activism. Compassion and an intuitive understanding that being a role model means something substantial.

It’s substantial because it gives these fantastic footballers a voice, and the capacity to inspire.