Ada Hegerberg, a 23-year-old soccer player for the Division 1 Féminine club Olympique Lyonnais, is the first ever woman to win the Ballon d’Or.
Hegerberg, a striker that was born on July 10, 1995, in Molde, Norway, was awarded the first ever women’s Ballon d’Or in France on Monday, December 3. Prior to winning the Ballon d’Or, Hegerberg was already recognized as one of the best female soccer players on Earth, winning the 2016 UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe Award and was named BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year in 2017.
Unfortunately, Hegerberg’s Ballon d’Or ceremony was hijacked by controversy, as the presenter, Martin Solveig, asked her to twerk on stage after giving her the award. The moment was truly horrid and presenter Martin Solveig has since been deemed a sexist by the court of public opinion.
To her credit, Hegerberg handled the moment like a true professional.
In addition to playing for Olympique Lyonnais, Hegerbeg competes nationally for the Norwegian women’s national team. However, in the summer of 2017, Hegerberg decided to take a break from her international footballing duties.