‘I had to check Ballon d’Or list was legit’ – Scotland’s Weir on making history

“When I first saw it, I wasn’t sure if it was legitimate because I wasn’t expecting it.”

It was understandable that Caroline Weir was surprised to have her name on the 2025 Ballon d’Or shortlist given that her summer was spent watching the European Championship on television rather than starring in Switzerland.

The 30-year-old checked to make sure the list was accurate after missing out on her third major tournament in a row with Scotland.

Her self-declared “comeback season” for Real Madrid, which she had spent 11 months with a serious knee injury, was strong enough to make her one of the 30 women competing for the honor.

The midfielder is the first female Scot to be nominated for the award, whose winner will be announced in Paris on Monday. This is also a historic moment.

Despite her status, Weir is praised for her modesty, and she is setting expectations before the Theatre du Chatelet in the evening.

She acknowledges that she is “soak it all in” in the grand surroundings and is excited to be rubbing shoulders with the biggest gamer.

Weir, who “genuinely cannot believe” her nomination, told BBC Scotland, “It’s pretty cool to be included in that kind of company.”

Weir deserves to enjoy dressing up and quietly partying in Paris given the suffering she underwent in order to return to her peak.

In a Nations League draw with Belgium at Hampden on Monday, she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament just days shy of the two-year anniversary of the incident.

The then-28-year-old, who had just posted phenomenal numbers in her first season in Spain, suffered a devastating blow.

Weir acknowledges that there may have been a case a few years ago because he scored 28 goals in all competitions since leaving Manchester City.

The record-scorer for the Galacticas said, “I believe statistically you would suggest that a nomination like this might come after my first season at Madrid, when my stats were the best they’ve been.”

“I really didn’t put too much pressure on it last season, which is why I think this nomination is more special for me,” I said.

You don’t set out and aim for these kinds of things, especially if you’re recovering from a serious injury, so I’m proud of how I’ve handled it because it’s challenging and can involve a lot of self-doubt.

Weir is aware that Kim Little, the champion of the Champions League, and Erin Cuthbert, the champion of the eight-time women’s super league, have never been nominated for the award since it was established in 2018.

Given that she had no one to impress on an international stage, something she is clamoring to change, it is especially impressive.

Scotland missed the World Cup two years prior to that and the Euros were postponed in 2022 due to their absence from Euro 2025.

Sands have shifted in the first few months of Melissa Andreatta’s rule, which Weir calls “a breath of fresh air.”

Stalwarts have left, giving young stars and eminently successful performers like Weir, whose international ambitions predominate over all else.

When Weir asked what she still had to accomplish, she replied, “The big one is another tournament with Scotland.”

“That is just really at the top of my mind,” I said. Watching teams like Switzerland and Finland there is never simpler.

Weir will wear her “Scottish hat on” and “an abundance of” intrigue to Monday’s elegant event.

A photo with fellow Scottish nominee Scott McTominay seems almost certain, and she wants to get as many pictures as possible.

Weir hopes the Napoli midfielder will inspire young Scotsmen to reach a stage they could only hope to.

McTominay is the first Scot to appear on the list since Ally McCoist in 1987, which was eight years before Weir was born.

Mhairi and Lindsay, her parents, can recall that moment, but she can’t recall it.

The devoted duo, who, according to the player, “came across really well” in their daughter’s documentary “Galactica,” tried their arm at getting an invitation but were unsuccessful.

Weir continued, “They were really happy]at the nomination – they wanted to come. But I thought, “No guys, not this time!”

“I’ve been nominated, but there are a lot of great players there, so the chances are slim that I’ll be anywhere near the top of the list.”