Bonmati retains Ballon d’Or feminin

Spain and Barcelona’s mercurial midfielder, Aitana Bonmati, has been crowned the Women’s Ballon d’Or winner for the second consecutive year, celebrating a season of unparalleled success.
The 26-year-old was instrumental in Barcelona’s historic quadruple win, which saw the club secure Liga F, the Champions League, the Supercopa, and the Copa de la Reina.
With a career-high 19 goals across all competitions, Bonmati emerged as a key player, driving both club and country achievements.
She was pivotal in Spain’s first-ever Women’s Nations League triumph, scoring four goals, including one in their decisive 2-0 victory over France in the final.
Grateful for the honour, Bonmati shared her thoughts in Paris: “I’m deeply thankful for this award. Achieving this twice is a privilege, and it’s something that happens thanks to the incredible players around me who push me to improve every day.”
BBC reports that England’s Lauren James ranked 13th in the voting, while her Lionesses teammates Lucy Bronze and Lauren Hemp placed 20th and 28th, respectively.
Emma Hayes made history by becoming the inaugural recipient of the women’s coach of the year award, recognized for leading Chelsea to a fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title before coaching the United States to Olympic gold at Paris 2024.