GGFN Editorial | The case for giving Bayern Munich’s other Ballon d’Or contender, Klara Bühl, more recognition

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There was a moment during Germany’s October 13 friendly against Japan at Bremen’s Weserstadion attended by Get German Football News that seemed to encapsulate everything that makes Klara Bühl such an exceptional footballer. Racing toward the corner flag in the 57th minute, the Bayern Munich winger somehow managed to stop a ball from going out of play with a deft back-heel before promptly nutmegging Japanese defender Yuzuki Yamamoto.

The sequence produced no goal or assist. It didn’t need to. The extraordinary combination of athleticism, determination, technical precision, and audacity was a reminder of just how much Bühl contributes beyond what appears on the scoresheet. Naturally, the 25-year-old also found time to provide both a goal and an assist as Germany came from behind to defeat Japan 2-1.

Bühl set up Linda Dallmann’s 28th-minute equalizer with a precise cutback after being played into space by Franziska Kett. Twelve minutes later, she narrowly missed scoring a spectacular goal herself, cutting inside from the left before curling an effort inches wide of the far post. After the interval, Bühl continued to torment the Japanese defense. Another pass from the winger presented Dallmann with an excellent opportunity in the 65th minute before she finally got her deserved goal eight minutes later.

Receiving a pass from Melissa Kössler, Bühl swept the ball into the bottom corner to complete Germany’s comeback. Her outstanding performance also earned her a standing ovation from the Bremen crowd. The match took place after the assessment period for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or had concluded. It nevertheless provided another vivid illustration of the qualities that have made Bühl one of the most influential attacking players in European football.

Which brings us to Monday evening’s ceremony in London.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, held at the London Palladium to mark the award’s 70th anniversary, saw Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane become the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to claim the men’s award. Spain’s Alexia Putellas collected her third Women’s Ballon d’Or, finishing ahead of Poland’s Ewa Pajor and Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw.

Bayern Munich had three representatives among the 30 nominees for the women’s award. Danish international Pernille Harder secured an impressive seventh-place finish, while Japanese international Momoko Tanikawa finished 23rd.

Bühl, meanwhile, placed 12th. Despite improving upon her 19th-place finish in 2025, the German international found herself outside the top ten, one place behind Manchester City’s Yui Hasegawa and two behind tenth-placed Temwa Chawinga.

Twelfth place? Really?

Klara Bühl deserved more than a place outside the top ten

There is no compelling reason to begrudge Alexia Putellas her third Ballon d’Or. The Spanish international enjoyed another outstanding campaign, helping Barcelona secure another Women’s Champions League title. But acknowledging Putellas’ achievements doesn’t mean we cannot question the final ranking.

How did Klara Bühl, after the strongest campaign of her career, fail to finish among the world’s ten best footballers? Bühl’s 2025/26 season was extraordinary by almost any statistical measure. She registered seven goals and a league-leading 15 assists in the Frauen-Bundesliga. Her contributions helped Bayern secure the domestic double.

The winger’s performances in the Champions League were arguably even more remarkable. Bühl finished the competition with eight assists, more than any other player in Europe. Even eventual Ballon d’Or winner Putellas, who registered seven, could not match the Bayern attacker’s tally.

Perhaps the most extraordinary example came against Arsenal, when Bühl assisted all three Bayern goals in a remarkable 3-2 comeback victory over the reigning European champions. Bayern ultimately advanced to the semi-finals of Europe’s premier club competition.

One cannot reasonably argue that Bühl’s accomplishments were restricted to the domestic game.

She demonstrated her quality against Europe’s strongest opposition, and she did so consistently.

Nor is this merely a case of one German journalist questioning an international award. In a October 27 Kicker commentary, Bernd Salamon argued that 12th place failed to adequately recognize Bühl’s exceptional campaign. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung‘s extensive feature on Bühl’s world-class abilities and Ballon d’Or candidacy also offers valuable context for appreciating the winger’s development.

Even Giulia Gwinn believed Bühl deserved greater recognition

The Ballon d’Or result was not the first occasion this year on which Bühl appeared to receive insufficient individual recognition. In August, the Bayern attacker finished second behind teammate Giulia Gwinn in Germany’s Footballer of the Year voting. What made that result particularly interesting was Gwinn’s own reaction to receiving the award.

The Germany captain – who has once again struggled with injury this year – acknowledged that other players had been more deserving of the distinction. When asked whom she would have selected, Gwinn explicitly named Bühl. Naturally, Germany’s Footballer of the Year award and the Ballon d’Or are entirely separate elections. Gwinn’s response still illustrates the remarkable esteem in which Bühl is held by those who train and play alongside her.

Indeed, the praise Bühl receives from her coaches is often even more emphatic.

“I don’t know another player who is as strong with both feet”

Speaking after Germany’s victory over Japan, national team head coach Christian Wück offered an extraordinary assessment of his winger.

“Klara is an incredibly important factor in our game,” Wück told reporters. “She’s a cheerful character, very important for our chemistry off the pitch as well. For me, she’s a world-class player. I don’t know another player who is as strong with both feet as she is. She’s quick, strong in challenges, and possesses incredible determination when working against the ball. That’s what defines her.”

These observations help explain why Bühl’s statistical contributions, impressive as they are, tell only part of the story. Her acceleration and close control make her exceptionally difficult to defend against. Her ability to operate comfortably with either foot allows her to attack opponents in multiple ways.

She can beat defenders on the outside and deliver dangerous crosses, cut inside to shoot, or recognize a teammate’s movement and supply a perfectly weighted pass. Just as importantly, she works relentlessly without possession.

The aforementioned back-heel against Japan exemplified this determination. Plenty of attacking players might have allowed the ball to run out of play. Bühl not only retrieved it but immediately transformed the situation into another attacking opportunity.

Wück’s assessment also speaks to her importance away from the football pitch. Her infectious enthusiasm and commitment to her teammates help make her such an integral component of the national team.

Why do players like Bühl sometimes struggle for recognition?

Perhaps the fundamental problem is that Bühl’s particular form of excellence is not always the easiest to package into an individual award. Goalscorers attract attention through their finishing statistics. Players at Europe’s most internationally prominent clubs benefit from the visibility that comes with competing for the biggest trophies.

And individual moments of brilliance, however spectacular, can sometimes overshadow sustained excellence across an entire campaign. Bühl certainly produces spectacular moments. But her greatest quality may be the consistency with which she makes those around her better. Her movement creates space. Her passing creates opportunities. Her willingness to contribute defensively gives teammates greater freedom to attack.

These contributions deserve consideration alongside goals, trophies, and the more easily marketable aspects of individual footballing stardom. One might also question whether performances in the Frauen-Bundesliga receive the same degree of international attention as those in England or Spain.

The attention Bühl is attracting from abroad offers an interesting contrast to her Ballon d’Or ranking. She has been linked with a move to the Spanish women’s league. Under contract with Bayern through the end of the current season, there are plenty of clubs interested in potentially snapping up the former Freiburg academy product on a free.

Bühl’s estimated market value (according to Transfermarkt’s Soccerdonna portal) has risen from €1.1m to €1.6m over the course of the last six months. While her Ballon d’Or placement may not fully reflect her standing in the game, the growing interest in her services suggests that her quality is hardly going unnoticed. In the estimation of one of Germany’s most respected online publications, at least, Bühl is earning some deserved appreciation.

Her 12th-place finish doesn’t exactly constitute worthless recognition. It represented an improvement from 19th in 2025 and confirmed her growing international standing.

Improvement and adequate recognition are, obviously, two different things.

Twelfth place doesn’t reflect Bühl’s true standing

Ultimately, the Women’s Ballon d’Or remains a subjective award decided by journalists with differing perspectives on individual performances, achievements, and the relative strength of various competitions. Reasonable people can disagree about whether Bühl deserved to finish fifth, seventh, or ninth.

That isn’t the point. The point is that a footballer who led both the Frauen-Bundesliga and Women’s Champions League in assists, helped Bayern secure the domestic double, and consistently demonstrated world-class attacking ability deserved serious consideration for a place among the very best.

Watching Bühl against Japan in Bremen only reinforced that conviction.

The beautiful back-heel, the nutmeg, the relentless movement, the defence-splitting passes, and the winning goal were all reminders that footballing excellence cannot always be reduced to trophies or the number beside a player’s name on an awards list.

Wück sees it. Gwinn sees it. The supporters who rose to applaud Bühl in Bremen certainly saw it.

Perhaps the international voting community will eventually give her performances the recognition they deserve.

For now, Klara Bühl will have to settle for 12th place.

In this writer’s view, that simply wasn’t high enough.

GGFN | Peter Weis