Former France captain Wendie Renard expressed her frustration with the French Football Federation after its official social media team failed to initially congratulate her on her Ballon d'Or nomination.
The 36-year-old defender, who plays for OL Lyonnes and has earned 168 caps for her country, was included on Wednesday on the 30-player shortlist for the women's Ballon d'Or for the first time since 2023. The nomination is the sixth of her career, setting a national record for French women players.
The official X account of the French women's national team posted messages on Wednesday morning praising French nominees Selma Bacha of OL Lyonnes and Melvine Malard of Chelsea. However, the account made no mention of Renard until nearly six hours later, following widespread criticism online.
Social media criticism
Renard voiced her disappointment on her Instagram account on Wednesday after sharing a post from international teammate Eugenie Le Sommer. Le Sommer, who was also omitted from congratulatory posts by the federation, wrote that some people had forgotten to congratulate the defender.
Responding to Le Sommer's message, Renard wrote that wearing the French national team shirt for so many years was visibly no longer enough to be considered French when congratulations were handed out. She added that she remained proud of securing her sixth career Ballon d'Or nomination.
Former Olympique Lyonnais right winger Sidney Govou also publicly criticised the federation's initial silence. Govou, who knew the Martinique-born defender when she first arrived in Lyon in 2006, posted that football had a selective memory and called the omission a disgrace before offering his congratulations.
National team exclusions
The online snub follows the decision by French women's national team head coach Laurent Bonadei to leave both Renard and Le Sommer out of the squad ahead of Euro 2025. Bonadei excluded the veteran players to make room for a younger generation of footballers, though he offered no criticism of Renard's performances when making the change.
The French Football Federation, known as the FFF, is the governing body overseeing association football in France. The latest controversy has re-ignited tensions between the federation and OL Lyonnes, France's dominant women's club, which have persisted since the tenure of former national head coach Corinne Diacre.
The delayed post is not the first time official social media channels for French sports teams have omitted prominent athletes during internal disputes. Men's international striker Karim Benzema was previously left out of team posts during his rift with head coach Didier Deschamps, while basketball star Marine Johannes faced similar treatment during a dispute with the French Basketball Federation.
Club campaign success
The Ballon d'Or is football's most prestigious individual award, presented annually to celebrate the world's leading players. Renard earned her latest nomination following a strong 2025-2026 season with OL Lyonnes, based in the city of Lyon.
During the campaign, Renard captained her club to another French Division 1 title and guided them back to the Women's Champions League final. Lyon finished as runners-up in the European competition after suffering a 0-4 defeat against Barcelona.
