Winning one Ballon d'Or is the mark of footballing greatness, profitable two places you in a really unique group of greats, however profitable three in a row? That provides 27-year-old Aitana Bonmatí footballing immortality. The Barcelona and Spain midfielder has change into the primary girl, and solely the third participant total, alongside Lionel Messi and Michel Platini, to have achieved this feat. What precisely units her aside?
Born and raised in Catalonia, Bonmatí joined Barcelona's famed La Masia academy at 13, absorbing a philosophy of technical excellence and soccer intelligence that might form her profession. By 16, she was already within the senior aspect, modelling her sport on legends equivalent to Xavi and Andrés Iniesta.
Her expertise was unmistakable from the outset. She helped Barça attain their first Girls's Champions League last in her first full season, in 2018-19, when she racked up a formidable 21 purpose contributions in all competitions. Lyon received that last however Barcelona and Bonmatí got here again stronger two years later. Aged simply 23, Bonmatí actually introduced herself to the soccer world by delivering a participant of the match efficiency as Barcelona crushed Chelsea 4-0 to carry their first Champions League title.
Her rise to the highest has been relentless. Her record of achievements reads just like the profession of a once-in-a-generation participant: 5 league titles, six Copas de la Reina, 5 Supercopas and three Champions Leagues – together with three trebles – for Barcelona. Add to that three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards, back-to-back Fifa Finest honours, three Champions League participant of the season awards, and being named the participant of the match at Euro 2025, and it's clear Bonmatí is in rarefied firm.
What separates Bonmatí from the remaining is her full mastery of midfield. Her consciousness, scanning and anticipation enable her to learn the sport like few others. Her acceleration, contact and shut management allow her to navigate tight areas effortlessly. Her intelligence, mixed with the flexibility to execute la pausa – the right refined pause to select the perfect go – assist her keep a step forward of opponents.
As her idol Xavi famous: “She jogs my memory of me, as a result of we perceive soccer the identical manner. Soccer's about utilizing your mind. When you put expertise up towards physicality, expertise will at all times win, as a result of that's the essence of soccer.” Bonmatí just isn't a bodily imposing determine at simply 5ft 4in however, what she lacks in dimension, she greater than makes up for in her footballing intelligence.
She units the rhythm of the sport, each defensively and offensively. Her head is at all times transferring as she anticipates the following section of play earlier than it occurs. She identifies potential gaps, ghosts into house, receives the ball in harmful areas, and may carve open defences earlier than her opponents have time to behave.
She completed final season with 15 objectives and 12 assists, however Bonmatí is extra than simply an asset within the last third. She doesn't ignore her defensive duties. “I made a decision that, if I needed to be a whole participant, I needed to do these issues additionally,”” she says. “Not solely rating and make assists but in addition do defensive duties to assist the staff.” Her skill to learn the sport interprets defensively, making her the fashionable supervisor's counter-pressing dream. Within the Champions League final season, she ranked fifth for the variety of ball recoveries (63). She doesn't simply chase the ball in useless; she cuts off passing lanes when her aspect is urgent, recovering the ball, and transitioning into assault.
Like Xavi and Iniesta, Bonmatí's greatness lies in her understanding of the sport. Irrespective of the techniques the supervisor deploys, the way in which the opposition performs, the scenario her aspect finds itself in, Bonmatí's intelligence, tactical consciousness and fluent understanding of the sport enable her to adapt. “She thinks so shortly,” mentioned the Sweden defender Magdalena Eriksson after arising towards Bonmatí. “If I went to problem her, she would discover a solution to exploit that. She makes everybody round her higher as nicely together with her decision-making and her consciousness of when to hurry up the sport or to gradual it down.”
Bonmatí's affect extends past her technical and tactical brilliance. Her Barcelona and Spain teammate, Ona Batlle, calls her “a pacesetter, particularly on the sphere, the place she demonstrates it essentially the most. She is taken into account the mind and nerve of the staff.”
Repeatedly, Bonmatí has risen when her aspect wanted her most. That management was clear to see in 2023, when she guided Spain to their first World Cup triumph and claimed the Golden Ball. It was on show once more at Euro 2025, the place she produced one of many defining moments of her profession: an audacious extra-time winner towards Germany within the semi-final, simply weeks after being hospitalised with viral meningitis, on her solution to being named participant of the match.
As Bonmatí claims her third successive Ballon d'Or, the query we ought to be asking is what number of extra she will be able to win. At 27, her peak could also be but to return. With 5 objectives and an help already this season in simply 4 video games, Bonmatí would possibly simply be mounting a cost for her fourth.
That is an article by WhoScored
