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Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí has won the Ballon d’Or Féminin after a record-breaking year with club and country.
Bonmatí, 25, helped Barça win Liga F and the Champions League last season, before leading Spain to World Cup glory in the summer.
She was named Player of the Tournament in Australia and New Zealand and was also recently crowned UEFA Women’s Player of the Year. Bonmati won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Australia forward Sam Kerr and Spain winger Salma Paralluelo.
“I want to congratulate all the nominees. All of them are great and inspiring footballers. As role models we have a responsibility on and off the pitch. We should be more than athletes. Keep leading by example and keep fighting together for a better, peaceful and equal world,” Bonmatí said after receiving the award.
Also read: Lionel Messi wins Ballon d’Or award for record eighth time
It is the the third year in a row that a Barça player has clinched the Ballon d’Or in the women’s game, with Bonmatí succeeding teammate and back-to-back winner Alexia Putellas.
Who is Aitana Bonmati?
Aitana Bonmatí was born on January 18, 1998, in Spain.
At the age of seven, she signed with her first team, CD Ribes, and played for two years with CF Cubelles – in both of which she was the only girl.
At the age of 13, she joined Barcelona to play in their youth teams, where she would take two-hour-long public transport rides with her father to get to practice.
By the time she was 16, she made her debut for the senior team during the 2015/16 season.
Since then, she has worn the Barcelona jersey in 229 games, scoring 78 goals and winning 14 titles: four LaLiga titles, five Copa del Rey trophies, three Supercopas de Espana and two Champions League titles.
She has also made 54 international appearances with Spain, in which she scored 18 goals and won a World Cup.
In March 2022, Aitana released the first part of her biography Totes unides fem força.
The book has sold over 100,000 copies and a third version was released in spring 2023.
