Overview:
Melchie Dumornay’s chance of winning the Ballon d’Or this year significantly diminished after she lost the Women’s UEFA Champions League with OL Lyonnes to FC Barcelona on Saturday. Haitian fans, however, say the native of Mirebalais still deserves a place among the top Ballon d’Or contenders.
NEW YORK — Haitian soccer star Melchie Daëlle “Corventina” Dumornay saw her Ballon d’Or award hopes take a significant hit after OL Lyonnes suffered a 4-0 defeat to FC Barcelona in the Women’s UEFA Champions League final. Still, many Haitian fans believe the 22-year-old deserves to finish among the world’s top three players this year.
“She will at least be in the Top 3,” fan Michelet Jérôme, an electrical engineer in Port-au-Prince, told The Haitian Times after the match on May 23. “I think a Barcelona player will win the Ballon d’Or [again] because they won the Champions League, which is a major title. But I’ll still be satisfied if Melchie finishes second or third.”
Fans across Haiti and the diaspora also reacted on social media, arguing that one disappointing final should not overshadow Dumornay’s outstanding season.
“To me, Melchie is not out of the Ballon d’Or race,” X user commenting under Mc.Gareth286 profile wrote. “She has been one of the most talked-about players in women’s soccer this season. It’ll be hard for them to forget her already just because there are no other big competitions left.”
The final, played May 23 at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Norway, marked Dumornay’s second Champions League final loss to Barcelona in three years. OL Lyonnes also lost to the Spanish powerhouse 2-0 in the 2024 final.
Barcelona dominated Saturday’s match, with Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo each scoring two goals in the second half. OL Lyonnes thought they had opened the scoring in the 14th minute through Lindsey Heaps, but their celebration was short-lived when a VAR review ruled the goal out for offside.
Barcelona stars may gain edge in Ballon d’Or race
Before the final, sports outlet Goal ranked Dumornay as the second-leading contender for the Ballon d’Or behind Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas, with Pajor third.
Pajor’s two-goal performance in the final is expected to strengthen her case and potentially move her ahead of Dumornay in the rankings. Putellas, despite not scoring in the final, also remains a strong favorite after helping Barcelona capture another European title.
Dumornay struggled to influence the match while playing in a deeper midfield role, facing tight marking throughout.
“When you’re playing a big game like this, even if you’re losing, lose like a player who’s on a mission,” Wendy Falaise commented on Facebook. “I was rooting for you, and I’m very sad. But it’s not the end of the world.”
Longtime sports analyst and former soccer coach, ex-Haitian Senator Patrice Dumont, also defended Dumornay after the loss, noting Barcelona’s tactical focus on neutralizing her.
“I have never seen Melchie so limited in a game,” Dumont wrote in a lengthy Facebook analysis.
“Barcelona cut all the connections between Melchie and her teammates. Decidedly, a day of great sadness for the greatest Haitian footballer of all generations.”
Still, Dumont said the defeat should not erase her Ballon d’Or candidacy.
“This loss doesn’t mean the end of our Ballon d’Or dreams,” he said.
Dumornay’s strongest season yet
Despite the setback, Dumornay has enjoyed the best club season of her career.
Last year, she finished 18th in the Ballon d’Or rankings after OL Lyonnes won only the domestic league and Haiti played limited international matches. Many Haitian fans argued she deserved a higher finish after winning multiple individual honors, including Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year and UEFA Women’s Champions League Young Player of the Season.
This season, Dumornay helped OL Lyonnes win the Coupe de France Féminine and the Coupe LFFP while reaching the finals of both the Women’s Champions League and France’s Arkema Première Ligue (formerly D1 Arkema). The French top-tier women’s soccer league final, which Dumornay’s club is favored to win, is scheduled for May 29 against Paris Football Club.
Individually, she has collected several major honors, including Best Player in France’s Arkema Première Ligue, the National Union of Professional Football’s top player award and The Athletic’s European Women’s Player of the Season recognition.
“The dream ended in the final,” said Nathalie Antoine, a Footkole sports reporter based in Florida also known as Nhalie. “I’m disappointed because we wanted this title to crown Melchie’s incredible season.”
Fans urge OL Lyonnes to strengthen roster
Some Haitian supporters also criticized OL Lyonnes’ squad depth and finishing ability, saying the French club needs reinforcements to compete consistently with Barcelona, which has now reached six consecutive Women’s Champions League finals and won four of them.
“Their attackers are not as clinical as Barcelona’s forwards,” Jérôme said. “They need to strengthen the roster.”
Now, Dumornay and OL Lyonnes still have one more opportunity to close the season with a title when they face Paris FC in the Première Ligue final this coming Friday — another match that could influence the Ballon d’Or race.
