Women's Soccer Player of the Year Contender Bonmati

Years Old: 27 Role: Midfielder Clubs: Barcelona and Spain

This has proven to be quite the season for Aitana Bonmati. She achieved becoming the first player to win three women's Ballons d'Or, achieved a domestic treble and advanced to the Euro 2025 final.

Her track record is evident, with an extensive trophy haul across her career as well. She has earned seven league titles, three European crowns, nine Copas de la Reina and five Spanish Super Cups.

While Barcelona were defeated by Arsenal in the Champions League final, and her extraordinary return from a bout of viral meningitis shortly before the start of the Euros was not enough to lead Spain to the trophy, it was an notable campaign.

The inventive playmaker scored the goal that beat Germany in the Euros semi-final as Spain made history by progressing to the final for the first time.

She was also selected as the Champions League's player of the season, registering nine goal contributions in her 11 appearances and netting in their 4-1 semi-final second-leg win at Chelsea.

A former club president: "I think that Aitana does not have a ceiling at the moment. She is a very driven girl, and the truth is that she is very youthful with everything she has achieved. I think that the ceiling will be set by her if she persists to be like this, so determined, taking care of herself.

"There are times when you see her running at 11pm at night, so that not too many people can see her. She is exercising here in the village. If she continues like that, I think there's no limit to it. I believe that she could become like Lionel Messi with eight Ballons d'Or. She will be able to reach his level."

Bonmati on what it means to play for Barcelona: "It's both a point of honor and a duty. We're not only evaluated by our results but also by how we play. Most teams would be satisfied just winning, but we're required - and we expect ourselves - to win and play well. That's a big obligation."

Manchester City men's manager: "Aitana Bonmati is a football player who has me totally in love with her for the way she plays. I would say she is like the women's Iniesta."

The owner of a bar devoted to Bonmati in her home town: "Mostly for being as humble as she is. Her playing technique. And she knows how to work as a unit and as a team. Often some of these elite players are more self-focused and they always want to be them, them and them. No, she shares the awards and has demonstrated that in all the galas she went to, recognising her team as the engine to herself. And, it is because of her personality, her game and her power and her fast-thinking mindset."

Although Bonmati created the most chances in Liga F last season, 10 players delivered more assists than her six, including her Barcelona teammates who provided a league-high 11 and 10 assists respectively.

But where Bonmati excelled more than any other player was in the phase before a goal was scored and an assist awarded by consistently providing the pass to the player who assisted the goal, quietly initiating so many of Barcelona's successful attacks last season.

There isn't much that hasn't been discussed about Bonmati. She explains her biggest strengths as comprehending the game and locating spaces with and without the ball, in order to find solutions in every match.

Tactically, this personal evaluation holds up perfectly. It is remarkable how much distance Bonmati covers when compared to others. This work-rate combined with her field intelligence, game IQ and skill level ensure she constantly resolves problems in games.

In possession, she shifts to find space in a way that advantages the team, comparable to other players but from a higher starting position that often affords players less time and space.

For club and country, Bonmati smartly ran into unorthodox positions, sometimes even abandoning her position to move to the opposite side to create an overload. This goes against what a structured side would normally do but her movement frequently created 3v2 or 2v1 situations.

With a numerical advantage, her passing and other-worldly small space dribbling becomes nearly impossible to stop.

Her guidance distinguishes her from her contemporaries too.

Her relentless running, particularly in her counter-pressing, indirectly raises the level of intensity in her teams and has the tactical benefit of forcing teams back, preventing them from getting settled attacking possession.

Bonmati shrewdly identifies the space she can exploit and with her running power arrives to create a 2v1 situation for Spain in the wide areas.