'It would be nice to enjoy the experience' - Lionesses & Bayern Munich star Georgia Stanway blasts Women's Ballon d'Or scheduling with ceremony 24 hours before England's clash with Belgium

• Ballon d'Or Feminin to be awarded on Monday night
• England players unable to attend ceremony
• Stanway questions scheduling

WHAT HAPPENED? England players nominated for the 2023 Ballon d'Or Feminin - Mary Earps, Millie Bright and Stanway - cannot attend the ceremony in Paris on Monday night as it is just 24 hours before the Lionesses' crucial UEFA Nations League clash with Belgium. Stanway has expressed her frustration, with international games across Europe and around the world this week also preventing other nominees from being there, too.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Obviously it's nice to get the accolade, as well as a lot of my team-mates who have been nominated as well. It's unfortunate that we couldn't be there," the midfielder said at a press conference.

"We spoke about it as a group and said it would be nice in the future if the ceremony wasn't on a matchday-1 so we can all enjoy the experience. It's a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You never know if you'll get selected for such an accolade like that again. It would be nice to enjoy the experience and be there. You want to feel like a star among the stars. We've got a game tomorrow, but if it was planned a little better then it would be easier for a lot of female footballers to be there."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Ballon d'Or Feminin is a relatively new addition to the longstanding men's award, having been created as recently as 2018. But it hasn't been without controversy in its short history. Inaugural winner Ada Hegerberg was clearly uncomfortable when she received her award after being asked on stage by host DJ Martin Solveig if she "knew how to twerk", for which he later apologised. Reflecting on last year's ceremony, Beth Mead said it felt like a "tick box to have women there" and suggested the Best FIFA Football Awards were more "aligned" and "much better" in terms of recognising the women's game. Aitana Bonmati is expected to land the 2023 prize, succeeding Barcelona and Spain team-mate Alexia Putellas.

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WHAT NEXT FOR STANWAY & THE LIONESSES? Having already beaten Belgium at home last week, England are looking to keep their Nations League campaign on track with another win. The Lionesses, currently second in the group, also face leaders Netherlands and and fourth-placed Scotland next month - only first place is good enough to progress to the finals. The competition also determines Europe's only two qualifiers (beyond hosts France) for the 2024 Olympics, with England acting as a proxy for the seldom seen Great Britain team.