Australia's Steph Catley has made the stage at the Ballon d'Or awards in Paris as her club side Arsenal won Women's Team of the Year.

But the big prizes went to Ousmane Dembele, the Paris St Germain and France forward, and Aitana Bonmati, the Barcelona and Spain midfielder.

Catley was nominated among the top 30 players in the world, finishing 29th in the poll, the fourth highest-rated defender in the women's game.

It was reward for her role in Arsenal's Champions League triumph and as stand-in captain for the Matildas in Sam Kerr's absence.

Catley was the third Australian woman to be short-listed since the Ballon d'Or Feminin was first introduced in 2018, with Sam Kerr having had five nominations - she finished second in 2023 and third the previous two years - and Hayley Raso being lis

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