FC Barcelona and national team midfielder Aitana Bonmatí is the favorite to claim her second consecutive Ballon d’Or this evening, following in the footsteps of fellow Barcelona and Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas, who won the prestigious award in 2021 and 2022, becoming the first woman to achieve this milestone. Having triumphed in Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Champions League with her club, as well as winning the Nations League with La Roja, Bonmatí has already been recognized as the best player in two major continental competitions and now has the opportunity to further etch her name into football history, extending Barça’s dominance in this pinnacle of individual recognition. The other strong contender for this year’s award is her teammate, Norwegian Caroline Graham Hansen.
However, Aitana has an edge, meeting all three criteria considered for the Ballon d’Or: outstanding individual performances, decisive character and impact; team achievements and successes; and fair play. In the 2023-24 season, the Barcelona number 14 scored 19 goals and provided 17 assists in 41 matches, helping her team secure the Liga F, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and Champions League titles. Remarkably, the extraordinary playmaker, who contributes defensively with great sacrifice, received no yellow cards throughout the season. Her accomplishments with the Spanish national team also stand out, with seven goals and one assist in 16 matches during the Nations League, which La Roja won, as well as the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal. Individually, the Catalan midfielder claimed the titles of Best Player of the Nations League, top scorer, Champions League MVP, and MVP of the final, where she opened the scoring against Lyon, along with the Laureus Award for Best Female Athlete. She has it all.
Her teammate Graham Hansen is also a champion in every sense, being victorious in all competitions with Barcelona and finishing as the top scorer and assist-provider in Liga F. The Norwegian recorded an impressive tally of 32 goals and 28 assists in 40 appearances, averaging 1.5 goal contributions per game. Known for her extraordinary dribbling ability and crucial impact, Graham Hansen could finally receive the international recognition she deserves after overcoming a series of injuries. Meanwhile, Spanish players like Mariona and Salma Paralluelo are also in contention for a place on the podium.
