Aitana Bonmati became the second Spaniard to win the Ballon d’Or Feminin when she stood alongside Lionel Messi, holding the women’s trophy aloft at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday.
It was a hat-trick of Ballon d’Or trophies for Barcelona, with Alexia Putellas, who also represents the Blaugarana, winning the award in the last two years.
Putellas was in the race for the trophy this year as well after winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but Bonmati appeared to be the clear favourite to clinch the trophy.
Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola had high praise for 25-year-old Bonmati, comparing her with Spanish men’s football legend Andres Iniesta. But the attacking midfielder has not been a sensation overnight.
After starting with CD Ribes and CF Cubelles, which were mixed-gender teams, Bonmati joined Barcelona’s youth structure at 13 and honed her skills with the younger teams, finally breaking into the senior side in 2016.
Right from her debut, she proved to be a strong presence on the field, assisting Bárbara Latorre’s goal in the Copa del Reina quarterfinal against Real Sociedad.
Bonmati Factfile:
Full Name: Aitana Bonmatí Conca
Nationality: Spain
Date of Birth: January 28, 1998
Place of Birth: Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
Club: Barcelona Femeni
International appearances: 57
International goals: 21
International debut: Spain vs Austria – November 28, 2017
Debut goal: Spain vs England – April 9, 2019
Style of play
Bonmati’s biggest gift is her quick understanding of the game, which aids in her reflexes during transitions and forward runs.
The earliest signs of her impact were visible in the U-17 EURO (2015) and the FIFA U-17 World Cup (2014), where Spain finished as champion and runner-up, respectively. Bonmati even made it to the Team of the Tournament in the European Championship.
Her game turned heads at the senior Women’s World Cup in France in 2019 where her attacking runs proved pivotal in Spain’s clash against South Africa.
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Coming on after the hour mark, with Spain trailing 0-1, her key passes into the final third helped Jorge Vilda’s side secure a 3-1 win in its opening match.
Spain’s next big player on the global stage was here.
Four years later, she scored thrice and assisted two more in a campaign that saw Spain win the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time.
Senior Honours (For club and country):
Barcelona – Top División: 5 (2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23)
UEFA Women’s Champions League: 2 (2020–21, 2022–23)
Copa de la Reina: 5 (2017, 2018, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22)
Supercopa de España: 3 (2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23)
Copa Catalunya: 4 (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
FIFA Women’s World Cup: 1 (2023)
Cyprus Cup: 1 (2018)
Beyond football
Bonmati did not hesitate to take a stance when football in Spain got into one of the most notorious scandals of the women’s game, involving the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, and the highest-ever goalscorer in the Spanish national team, Jennifer Hermoso.
Rubiales, during the celebration of Spain winning the World Cup, had kissed Hermoso without her consent, but later denied that that was the case.
The scandal, later, saw Rubiales being banned from football for three years.
Bonmati, who won UEFA’s The Best award (in women’s football in 2023), dedicated the award to Hermoso, saying nobody should support the ‘abuse of power’.
![Aitana Bonmati of FC Barcelona holds the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 31, 2023 in Monaco. Aitana Bonmati of FC Barcelona holds the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 31, 2023 in Monaco.](https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/zh313w/article67481186.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/UEFA-Champions-League-202324-Group-Stage-Draw-37.jpg)
Aitana Bonmati of FC Barcelona holds the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 31, 2023 in Monaco.
| Photo Credit:
UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Aitana Bonmati of FC Barcelona holds the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Group Stage Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 31, 2023 in Monaco.
| Photo Credit:
UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
“I would like to remember what has happened. We cannot allow an abuse of power in an employment relationship. As a society we cannot allow the abuse of power, I dedicate it to Jennifer Hermoso and to all the women who suffer the same. We are with you,” she said, after receiving the award.
Individual Honours:
Ballon d’Or Féminin: 2023
FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Ball: 2023
UEFA Women’s Player of the Year: 2022–23
UEFA Women’s Champions League Player of the Season: 2022–23
UEFA Women’s Championship Team of the Tournament: 2022
Copa de la Reina Final MVP: 2019–20
Supercopa de España Femenina Final MVP: 2022–23
Catalan Player of the Year: 2019
UEFA Women’s Champions League Final MVP: 2021
UEFA Women’s Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020–21, 2022–23
Premi Barça Jugadors (Barça Players Award): 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
IFFHS Women’s World Team: 2021, 2022
Bonmati idolises Johan Cruyff, a Barcelona legend who won 13 major trophies with the club as a player and manager, with her autobiography Totes unides fem força having 14 chapters dedicated to the Dutchman.
Cryuff himself won the Ballon d’Or thrice (1971, 1973, 1974). Having won 18 major trophies with Barcelona Femeni, Bonmati looks to follow the footsteps of her hero quite well.