Lyon and Norway striker Ada Hegerberg has won the inaugural Women’s Ballon d’Or award, according to BBC reports.

The 23-year-old scored in this year’s Champions League final as French side Lyon beat Wolfsburg 4-1 in Kiev.

Wolfsburg and Denmark striker Pernille Harder was second, Germany midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan third and England and Lyon defender Lucy Bronze sixth.

The award – voted for by journalists – recognises the best player in the world.

Co-host Martin Solveig, a French DJ, was widely criticised on social media after asking Hegerberg during the presentation: “Do you know how to twerk?”

Solveig later apologised, and Hegerberg played down suggestions it had marred her win.

Hegerberg was one of seven players from the all-conquering Lyon side to feature among the 15 nominees.

She was the leading scorer with 15 goals as the French side won the Champions League for the third year running.

The Ballon d’Or has been awarded to a men’s player by France Football every year since 1956, but this is the first year there has been a women’s award. </s> Olympique Lyonnais and Norway forward Ada Hegerberg made history on Monday when she won the inaugural Ballon d’Or award for the best player in women’s football.

Hegerberg, who helped lead Lyon win the Women’s Champions League last season, said she hoped it would motivate young female players.

“Being historical and the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or is a huge moment in my life,” she added.

It is a fantastic day for women’s football... it is important to show young girls that they can believe in themselves and I hope they are inspired by this. They are the future.

“It is a fantastic day for women’s football… it is important to show young girls that they can believe in themselves and I hope they are inspired by this. They are the future.”

Croatia and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric was named the best men’s player of 2018 at the prestigious awards organised by France Football magazine.

The awards have existed since 1956 but had not previously had a women’s football category. </s> Ada Hegerberg put French musician Martin Solveig firmly in his place in a cringe-inducing moment after winning the inaugural Women’s Ballon d’Or award.

The Lyon and Norway striker had a remarkable 12 months for club and country and was rewarded at Monday evening’s ceremony in Paris, where Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric also lifted the men’s prize.

Hegerberg scored in this year’s Champions League final and seven of her Lyon team-mates were also among the nominees.

French DJ Martin Solveig – Nope, us neither – almost ruined Hegerberg’s night with an inexplicably sexist remark shortly after the forward collected her award.

Solveig stunned viewers by asking a visibly embarrassed Hegerberg if she wanted to twerk in celebration.

Thankfully, Hegerberg shut him down in style with a blunt response.

The Norwegian forward beat Denmark striker Pernille Harder and Germany midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan to the prize who finished second and third respectively.

Lucy Bronze was the highest-placed England player and finished sixth in the ranking.

‘I want to say thanks to my team-mates because this would not have been possible without them, my coach or our president Jean-Michel Aulas,’ Hegerberg said after lifting the award.

‘I also want to thank France Football. This is a huge step for women’s football.’

MORE: Luka Modric wins 2018 Ballon d’Or to end Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominance </s> NORWEGIAN STRIKER ADA Hegerberg was rewarded for her prolific form with Champions League winners Lyon as she took the first ever women’s Ballon d’Or prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.

The 23-year-old saw off competition from players like Danish star Pernille Harder, of German club VfL Wolfsburg, and Brazil’s Marta — winner of FIFA’s best player prize — to take the prize organised by France Football magazine following a vote by journalists from around the world.

Hegerberg was one of seven players from the all-conquering Lyon side to feature among the 15 nominees, but she won out thanks to her prolific form in front of goal.

She was the top scorer with 15 goals as the French side won the Champions League for the third year running. One of her goals came in the final in Kiev in May, as Lyon came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 4-1 after extra time and retain the trophy.

Harder had put the Germans in front in that game.

Ada Hegerberg alongside her mother Gerd Hegerberg and her sister, Paris Saint-Germain's Andrine Hegerberg at the ceremony. Source: AP/PA Images

“I want to say thanks to my teammates because this would not have been possible without them, my coach or our president Jean-Michel Aulas,” Hegerberg said at the ceremony at the Grand Palais, just off the Champs Elysees.

“I also want to thank France Football. This is a huge step for women’s football.”

Lyon also won the French title for the 12th season in succession, with Hegerberg top-scoring with 31 goals, and she continues to bang in the goals for her team who are top of the table again this season.

Hegerberg, whose elder sister Andrine plays for Lyon’s biggest rivals in France, Paris Saint-Germain, is a Norwegian international but has not played for her country since their disappointing showing at Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.

Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here: </s> Lyon's Ada Hegerberg has been crowned the first winner of the women's Ballon d'Or.

The Norwegian striker, 23, helped Lyon claim the French league title and Champions League trophy, scoring in the final as they beat Wolfsburg 4-1 in Kiev.

"I want to say thanks to my team-mates because this would not have been possible without them, my coach or our president Jean-Michel Aulas," Hegerberg said.

"I also want to thank France Football. This is a huge step for women's football.

"I want to end this speech with a message to all young girls in the world. Believe in yourselves"

England duo Lucy Bronze and Frank Kirby were also ranked among the top 20 in the world, finishing sixth and 14th respectively.

Hegerberg and Bronze were two of seven Lyon players shortlisted for the award.

However, there was controversy surrounding the ceremony in Paris after Hegerberg was asked if she knew how to twerk when she collected her award on stage by host Martin Solveig, a French DJ.

The comment sparked outrage on social media, with many users calling the remarks "sexist", and Solveig released an apology on Twitter shortly after.

"Sincere apologies to the one I may have offended," he said. "My point was: I don't invite women to twerk but dance on a Sinatra song. Watch the full sequence, people who have followed me for 20 years know how respectful I am especially with women." </s> Sixty-two years after Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d’Or the women’s game received its inaugural winner: it wasn’t Australia’s Sam Kerr but trailblazing Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg.

The three-time Women’s Champions League winner with French side Lyon was named the world’s best female player of 2018 at a gala in Paris.

A jury of 45 journalists picked the 23-year-old Hegerberg from among 15 nominees, including Matildas star striker Kerr who was fifth in the voting.

“For the first time a woman will win football’s highest honour. So even if I don’t win, we will,” Kerr posted on Instagram before the awards ceremony.

Kerr had another outstanding 2018 winning the NWSL golden boot, the PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year and ESPY Award for Best International Women’s Soccer Player.

Dane Pernille Harder and German Dzsenifer Marozsan rounding out the top three while Brazilian Marta was fourth.

Hegerberg called the award “a huge step for women’s football” and said she feels “very proud” to be the first Ballon d’Or-winning woman.

She scored a tournament-record 15 goals for Lyon in the Women’s Champions League last season.

Hegerberg also expressed frustration about living “in such a man’s world” and said the award will not make her reconsider her refusal to play for Norway, including at next June’s Women’s World Cup, because of her unhappiness over perceived inequality.

“A lot of things need to be done to make the conditions better for women who play football,” she said.

“It’s all about how we respect women’s football. I don’t think the respect has been there.

“I wish the national team the best, though. We just follow two different paths at the moment.”

France Football magazine has been awarding the Ballon d’Or - until now only to men - since 1956, when Matthews was the first winner. </s> Olympique Lyonnais and Norway forward Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural Ballon d'Or award for the best player in women's football on Monday (local time) but the moment was tarnished when DJ Martin Solveig asked her to 'twerk' after receiving the prize.

Hegerberg, who helped lead Lyon win the Women's Champions League last season, looked embarrassed and answered "no" after Solveig asked her in French to do the provocative dance.

"You've seen that I prepared a little celebration for (France forward) Kylian (Mbappe) so we said we're going to do something similar. Do you know how to twerk?" said French DJ Solveig who co-hosted the awards with David Ginola.

Solveig was the subject of criticism on social media following his exchange with 23-year-old Hegerberg and quickly apologised for his comments with a video posted on Twitter.

"I'm a little amazed and astonished with what I'm reading on the internet, of course I didn't want to offend anyone," he said. "This was a joke probably a bad one, I want to apologise to the one I offended, sorry about that."

"He (Solveig) came to me afterwards and was really sad that it went that way. I didn't really think about it at the time to be honest. I didn't really consider it a sexual harassment or anything in the moment," she told the BBC.

Arsenal centre-back and Ireland international Louise Quinn told Reuters: "It just shows that people just come out with these questions or comments without giving it a second thought, and it must change.

"Women's football is taking huge strides and questions and comments like this take away from those strides we have taken. Instead of the attention going to a world-class player for her talent it will all be about Solveig's question."

Hegerberg earlier spoke of her pride in winning the award and said she hoped it would motivate young female players.

"Being historical and the first woman to win the Ballon d'Or is a huge moment in my life," she added.

"It is a fantastic day for women's football... it is important to show young girls that they can believe in themselves and I hope they are inspired by this. They are the future."

Croatia and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric was named the best men's player of 2018 at the prestigious awards organised by France Football magazine. They have existed since 1956 but had not previously had a women's football category. </s> Matildas star Sam Kerr has finished fifth in the inaugural Women’s Ballon D’Or.

Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg won the award, with Pernille Harder, Dzsenifer Maroszan, Marta and Kerr rounding out the top five.

Kerr had a sensational year for club — at Chicago Red Stars and Perth Glory — and country, for the Matildas, but it was not enough to secure the award.

The 25-year-old scored 16 goals in 20 games for the Red Stars this year, to go with eight goals for her country. That came off the back of 13 for the Glory.

Meanwhile Hegerberg scored 10 goals in as many league games for Olympique Lyonnais, while she scored 15 in nine Champions League appearances in 2017/18 as the club won its third consecutive trophy.

An emotional Hegerberg used her speech to tell young girls all over the world to “please, believe in yourself.”

A jury of 45 journalists picked the 23-year-old Hegerberg from among 15 nominees, including Matildas star striker Kerr who was fifth in the voting.

“For the first time a woman will win football’s highest honour. So even if I don’t win, we will,” Kerr posted on Instagram before the awards ceremony on Monday.

Kerr had another outstanding 2018 winning the NWSL golden boot, the PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year and ESPY Award for Best International Women’s Soccer Player.

Dane Pernille Harder and German Dzsenifer Marozsan rounding out the top three while Brazilian Marta was fourth.

Hegerberg called the award “a huge step for women’s football” and also told The Associated Press she feels “very proud” to be the first Ballon d’Or-winning woman.

She scored a tournament-record 15 goals for Lyon in the Women’s Champions League last season. </s> Sixty-two years after Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d'Or the women's game has received its inaugural winner: not Australia's Sam Kerr but trailblazing Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg.

The three-time Women's Champions League winner with French side Lyon was named the world's best female player of 2018 at a gala in Paris on Monday.

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric, meanwhile, whose heroics inspired Croatia's run to the World Cup final, was named men's player of the year, breaking a decade of dominance by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

A jury of 45 journalists picked the 23-year-old Hegerberg from among 15 nominees, including Matildas star striker Kerr who was fifth in the voting.
Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg wins the inaugural Women's Ballon d'Or.