Women's Footballer of the Year Contender Aitana Bonmati

Age: 27 Role: Midfielder Clubs: Barcelona & Spain

It has been quite the year for Aitana Bonmati. She became the pioneering athlete to claim three women's Ballons d'Or, secured a domestic treble and advanced to the Euro 2025 final.

Her pedigree is clear, 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.

Although Barcelona were beaten 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 guide Spain to the trophy, it was an impressive campaign.

The creative playmaker netted the goal that beat Germany in the Euros semi-final as Spain achieved a milestone by progressing to the final for the first time.

She was also named the Champions League's player of the season, recording 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 believe 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 continues to be like this, so competitive, taking care of herself.

"There are times when you see her training at 11pm at night, so that not too many people can see her. She is exercising here in the village. If she keeps going 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 regarding what it means to play for Barcelona: "It's both a point of honor and a duty. We're not only judged by our results but also by how we play. Most teams would be satisfied just winning, but we're expected - and we expect ourselves - to win and play well. That's a big obligation."

A top club 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 dedicated to Bonmati in her home town: "Mostly for being as humble as she is. Her style of play. And she knows how to work as a group and as a team. Often some of these elite players are more individualistic 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 driving force to herself. And, it is because of her personality, her game and her strength and her fast-thinking mindset."

Although Bonmati generated the most chances in Liga F last season, 10 players provided 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 set up the goal, quietly starting so many of Barcelona's successful attacks last season.

There isn't much that hasn't been said about Bonmati. She describes her biggest strengths as understanding the game and locating spaces with and without the ball, in order to identify solutions in every match.

Tactically, this self-assessment holds up flawlessly. It is remarkable how much ground Bonmati covers when contrasted to others. This work-rate combined with her spatial awareness, game IQ and skill level ensure she continually solves 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 allows players less time and space.

For club and country, Bonmati smartly ran into unorthodox positions, sometimes even leaving 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 regularly created 3v2 or 2v1 situations.

With a player surplus, her passing and exceptional small space dribbling becomes almost impossible to stop.

Her guidance separates 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 strategic advantage of pushing teams back, stopping them from getting settled attacking possession.

Bonmati shrewdly recognises the space she can utilize and with her stamina arrives to create a 2v1 situation for Spain in the wide areas.