Red Stars' Mallory Swanson, Alyssa Naeher Nominated for Women's Ballon d'Or

The Chicago Red Stars have two players that brought back Gold Medals from the Summer Olympics and now those two have another accolade to add to their trophy cabinet.

Mallory Swanson and Alyssa Naeher have each been nominated for the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or for best women’s soccer player over the last year.

Swanson, 26, has been a force every time she’s gotten on the pitch for both the Red Stars and the United States Women’s National Team in 2024. Her return from injury has only exemplified the importance of her role on both squads and the Ballon d’Or nomination is another mark of that success. Swanson has notched seven goals and three assists this season in NWSL and scored four goals during the Summer Olympics including the winning goal in the Gold Medal match.

Naeher has been in goal for 17 matches for the Red Stars and kept three clean sheets in 2024 despite battling a few knocks throughout. She managed to keep four clean sheets during the Summer Olympics only months after helping the USWNT win the SheBelievesCup in the Spring.

Naeher met with the media to discuss her Gold Medal and heaped praise on Swanson for her resilience throughout the past few years while feeling exceptionally joyful for her teammate.

“Watching her journey, watching her growth as a person, as a player, those moments become really special with who you're sharing them with,” said Naeher. “And I think, yeah, it's just one of those things. It all kind of hits at the same time. And I was just really happy for her.

What’s On Tap Next?

The Red Stars will host the Orlando Pride on Sunday at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 PM CT and will air on NWSL+.