September 22, (THEWILL) — Hannah Hampton won the inaugural Yashin Trophy for best women’s goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday evening, receiving the award from former England international Mary Earps at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
The 24-year-old England and Chelsea star earned recognition following her outstanding performances during the Euro 2025 tournament, where she saved two penalties in the final against Spain.
Hampton used her acceptance speech to pay tribute to former Liverpool manager Matt Beard, who died on Saturday aged 47.
She described Beard, who led Liverpool to Women’s Super League titles in 2013 and 2014, as a trailblazer who cared deeply about women’s football when few others did.
The manager’s death has deeply affected the women’s football community.
The goalkeeper delivered a powerful message about mental health during her speech, noting that Beard lit up rooms when present and emphasising that people should not endure difficult moments alone.
She observed that sometimes the brightest smiles conceal the heaviest pain, stating that Beard would be greatly missed by those who knew him.
Hampton also honoured her grandfather, who passed away shortly before England’s European Championship campaign in Switzerland began.
She credited her success to the support of family and those around her during what had been a challenging period personally while achieving professional triumph.
The Chelsea goalkeeper, who beat Nigerian Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to the award, concluded her speech by stating the award represented an achievement for women’s goalkeeping rather than personal recognition alone.
She acknowledged standing on the shoulders of great goalkeepers from previous generations and described feeling honoured to be among such an incredible group of nominees for the prize.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
