Washington Spirit Star Sofia Cantore Named Top 25 Player in the World by Ballon d'Or
Published on September 22, 2025 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release
Washington Spirit forward Sofia Cantore
(Washington Spirit)
Washington, D.C. - Washington Spirit star forward Sofia Cantore has been named one of the top 25 players in global women's soccer, France Football announced today. Cantore finished 24th in voting for the Ballon d'Or Féminin, an award recognizing the best and women's soccer player in the world each year.
Since her arrival in DC this summer, Cantore has been an immediate attacking threat for the Spirit, netting a goal in each of her first two matches at Audi Field. Cantore signed with the Spirit in June, transferring from Juventus FC of Italy's Serie A and becoming the first Italian player in NWSL history. Across the past eight seasons, Cantore appeared in over 120 league matches, tallying over 40 goals and 20 assists in the process. Cantore is the Spirit's third Ballon d'Or Féminin finalist in the past four seasons after Trinity Rodman's top-20 and top-ten finishes in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
At the international level, Cantore is a mainstay of the Italy roster. Approaching her 50th appearance for the senior team, Cantore has tallied five goals for Le Azzurre and recently started every match of the 2025 UEFA Women's Championship for the side. In Italy's quarterfinal win, Cantore dished out two assists to help her home country advance to the tournament's semifinal round for the first time in 28 years.
This weekend, the Spirit will return home to host the Houston Dash at Audi Field on Sunday, September 28 with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Kicking off at 1 p.m. EDT, the match will be Washington's annual Hispanic Heritage celebration. Tickets are available.
Images from this story
 Washington Spirit forward Sofia Cantore |
National Women's Soccer League Stories from September 22, 2025
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- Washington Spirit Star Sofia Cantore Named Top 25 Player in the World by Ballon d'Or - Washington Spirit
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