Third in the World: Congratulations, Khadija "Bunny" Shaw!

A proud day for Jamaica, for the Reggae Girlz, and for every young dreamer who ever kicked a ball barefoot on a dusty pitch.

Read the official announcement from her club: Shaw named third best player at 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or (Manchester City)

Wi Likkle, But Wi Tallawah

On Monday night, October 26, 2026, in London, the football world gathered to crown its best. When the Women’s Ballon d’Or rankings were announced, a name from Spanish Town, Jamaica, stood on the podium: Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, third best player in the world.

Alexia Putellas of Spain took the Golden Ball for a third time, with Poland’s Ewa Pajor in second. Then came Bunny. Third in the world. Not third in the Caribbean, not third in CONCACAF. Third on the planet.

Let that settle for a moment. A little island of under three million people has produced a woman the world’s football writers now rank among the very finest to ever lace up boots in this era.

Congratulations, Bunny. Jamaica is proud of you.

History Made, Again

This is not just another trophy for the cabinet. It is history, written in several directions at once:

Highest-placed Jamaican ever. No Jamaican, man or woman, has ever finished higher in the Ballon d’Or.
Highest-ranked Afro-Caribbean player in the award’s history, according to Manchester City.
Only the fourth player from outside Europe to finish in the women’s top three.
Joins elite City company. She now stands alongside Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne as the only Manchester City players ever to finish in the Ballon d’Or top three.

And she climbed to get here. Bunny has been on this shortlist before. This year she did not just attend the party. She stood near the very top of it.

A Season for the Ages

The podium finish crowns what may be the finest season of her career. Look at the numbers:

21 goals in 22 Women’s Super League matches, leading Manchester City to the league title.
A record third consecutive WSL Golden Boot, the first player ever to win three.
The first player to score 20 or more goals in three different WSL seasons.
The fastest hat-trick in WSL history, three goals in just over twelve and a half minutes against Tottenham in March.
The opening goal in the FA Cup final, a 4-0 win over Brighton at Wembley that sealed City’s domestic double.

Then came the individual honors: PFA Players’ Player of the Year, voted by her fellow professionals; the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year; and WSL Player of the Season. The Ballon d’Or podium is the crown on top of a crowned season.

She is already Manchester City’s all-time leading scorer and holds the record for the most hat-tricks in WSL history. At home, she remains Jamaica’s all-time leading international goalscorer, ahead of every man and every woman who has ever worn the black, green, and gold.

Bigger Than Football

I have lived in Norway since 1987, but there are mornings when Jamaica reaches across the ocean and grabs your heart. This was one of them.

What Bunny represents goes beyond goals. She grew up in a country where the girls’ game was often an afterthought, where resources were thin and the road to the top was not paved. The Reggae Girlz themselves have had to fight, more than once, simply for the support to keep playing. Bunny came through all of that, and she never stopped carrying the flag. Even now, at the summit of the club game, she wears the captain’s armband for Jamaica.

That matters. Somewhere in St. Catherine, in Trelawny, in Portland, a little girl is watching. She now knows that the road from a Jamaican schoolyard to the biggest stage in world football is real, because someone has walked it.

A Word of Faith

Scripture says in Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Bunny’s story is a living sermon on that verse. Gifts are given, but greatness is built: through early mornings, painful setbacks, injuries, doubt, and the quiet discipline of showing up again and again when no cameras are rolling.

Talent opened the door. Diligence carried her through it. And humility, the way she always credits teammates, coaches, and country, is what keeps her standing there. That is a lesson for every one of us, on the pitch or off it.

Thank You, Bunny

So today, from Sandnes to Spanish Town, we lift our voices together. Congratulations, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw. Third in the world, first in our hearts.

You have reminded a whole nation what is possible when gift meets grit. Keep scoring, keep leading, and keep making us proud. The best, we believe, is still to come.

Big up yourself, Bunny. Jamaica salutes you.

What does Bunny’s achievement mean to you? Share your congratulations in the comments below.