Overview:
Onz Chéry, The Haitian Occasions sports activities reporter, breaks down why Melchie Dumornay ought to have ranked increased within the 2025 France Soccer Ballon d’Or and encourages Haitian followers and media retailers to defend her extra, as she is commonly undervalued in particular person recognition awards.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — In April 2025, it appeared as if girls’s soccer was at Melchie Dumornay’s ft. The Haitian midfielder scored in 4 consecutive Champions League matches, serving to Lyon defeat Bayern Munich 6-1 on combination within the quarterfinals earlier than falling 5-3 to Arsenal within the semifinals.
Again then, Dumornay appeared like a reliable Ballon d’Or contender. But 5 months later, she barely cracked the highest 20, ending 18th.
Nobody anticipated her to win the award and even end within the high 10, however 18th feels far too low for a participant who had the most effective particular person seasons in Europe.
A season of milestones
Dumornay was the second-leading scorer in France’s Arkema Première Ligue and the fourth-leading scorer within the Champions League. She earned Lyon’s Participant of the Season, Champions League Younger Participant of the Season, a spot within the Champions League Crew of the Season and a Concacaf Participant of the Yr nomination.
Her résumé for 2025 contains:
- 15 targets within the Arkema Première Ligue (2nd)
- 6 targets in 9 Champions League matches (4th)
- 2 assists in 8 Champions League appearances
- 4 targets in 8 matches for Haiti
- Champions League Younger Participant of the Season
- Champions League Crew of the Season
- OL Lyonnes’ Participant of the Season
- Concacaf Participant of the Yr nominee
The one blemish was on the worldwide stage, the place Haiti performed no main tournaments. She additionally gained only one staff trophy, the French league, in a voting system that locations heavy weight on silverware. Even so, ending 18th undervalues her accomplishments.
Voter response and Haitian silence as Dumornay’s expertise is undervalued
“I feel Melchie ought to have completed increased,” stated sports activities journalist Caleb Jephté Pierre, who voted within the Ballon d’Or.
“ who completed above her, there have been worldwide competitions in Africa, South America and Europe, however she didn’t play within the Concacaf area. Possibly that performed a job within the rankings.”
“I’m not absolutely happy with 18th place,” he added. “However possibly it’s a superb begin that can push Melchie to work even tougher.”
Followers additionally voiced frustration on social media, calling the location unfair. Nonetheless, the broader Haitian sports activities group remained muted, with little pushback in comparison with the debates surrounding the lads’s Ballon d’Or.
The next are among the most notable feedback as Haitians took to social media to precise their shock and frustration after the Ballon d’Or voting outcomes have been revealed.
That silence issues. The Ballon d’Or is determined by 100 journalists worldwide, and narratives — amplified by media, followers and federations — assist sway votes. Haitians, who appeared too content material simply to see Dumornay nominated, haven’t made sufficient noise on her behalf.
Final yr, the Haitian star wasn’t even nominated, regardless of successful Concacaf Participant of the Yr forward of gamers who did make the checklist. Few Haitians protested then, and historical past appears to be repeating
This time, Dumornay herself stayed quiet, posting solely photos and videos from the ceremony. The Haitian Soccer Federation issued a quick assertion celebrating her as “a historic first for Haitian soccer,” calling her end “an immense satisfaction to the entire nation.”
Whereas satisfaction is warranted, settling for 18th dangers normalizing her undervaluation. So long as Haitian media and followers fail to push her case, her expertise will proceed to be muffled on the worldwide stage.
Systemic flaws in Ballon d’Or voting
Dumornay is just not the one participant from exterior Europe who was ignored. Temwa Chaŵinga of Malawi, who gained the Nationwide Ladies’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) MVP and Golden Boot with Kansas City Current and led her nationwide staff to the COSAFA Cup semifinals, completed simply sixteenth — one other reminder of how the Europe-based award undervalues expertise from elsewhere. The NWSL is arguably some of the aggressive girls’s soccer leagues on the earth.
In the meantime, a participant like Norwegian Caroline Graham Hansen of FC Barcelona, ranked forward of Dumornay, regardless of producing much less individually. Hansen gained a number of trophies however was solely the seventh-leading scorer in Spain and missed out on the Champions League Crew of the Season. Norway additionally exited the Euro 2025 within the quarterfinals.
Her increased end highlights the Ballon d’Or’s greatest flaw: staff trophies are sometimes valued greater than particular person brilliance.
For Dumornay to climb the Ballon d’Or rankings in 2026, she is going to probably want extra staff silverware. However simply as importantly, Haitians should rally behind her, amplifying her achievements on the worldwide stage.
If followers, media and establishments don’t push her case, her brilliance dangers being overshadowed by the politics of soccer awards.
For now, 18th place feels much less like a mirrored image of her expertise — and extra like a failure of recognition.