The first women's golden ball is Norwegian!

No gold balloon in 2020 because of the coronavirus. But remember 2018, the year of the creation of this women's trophy and the triumph of the 23-year-old Norwegian girl, Ada Hegerberg, crowned 1st golden ball in the history of women's football! Designated among 15 finalists, the young woman who plays in France for Olympique Lyonnais has a track record that makes many dream of her.

Norwegian girls are encouraged to play sports from an early age, and football is the most popular activity (after skiing, which is only played during the winter season). The media coverage of the Norway Cup has contributed greatly to the popularisation of women's football. The girls' matches in this children's football tournament are broadcast live and in prime time on the public channel NRK.

The girls of the Hegerberg family have not escaped this national infatuation. In 2012, at the age of 15, Ada and her elder sister Andrine (herself a professional with AS Roma) joined Stabaek and took part in the club's European adventure. The two sisters' performances were quickly noticed and in December 2012 they were recruited by the German club Posdam.

Ada Hegerberg's successes and performances continue to come in a string of victories: in the 2015/2016 season, while representing the colours of her new club, Olympique Lyonnais, she scored 54 goals in her 35 matches. She was named UEFA's best player, her^first individual title, which was followed a few months later by the BBC's Women's Footballer of the Year award.

His rise continued over the next two seasons and his contract with Olympique Lyonnais was extended until 2021.

Ada Hegerberg is without context a player unanimously recognized for her exceptional sporting performances. She is also a young Norwegian woman in committed positions.

Ada Hegerberg is the highest paid professional player in France with an annual salary of 400,000 €/year. Since 2017, she has been campaigning for more equal and fairer football. Equality which according to her must go through :

- a more assertive commitment of material resources from the Norwegian Football Association to its women's teams,
- a salary increase enabling her sisters to no longer have to take on a parallel activity to live decently.

At the end of 2017, the Norwegian Football Association (FNF) responded by introducing equal bonuses: players will henceforth receive the same remuneration when they go to the national team.

Believing that the FNF's efforts were not enough, Ada Hegerberg boycotted the 2017 selection and did not participate in the 2019 World Cup.

The Olympique Lyonnais striker's career is currently experiencing some difficulties linked to a cruciate ligament rupture contracted in January 2020 and the recent operation for a fatigue fracture to the left tibia in September 2020.