It’s been a whirlwind last few months for Aitana Bonmatí, the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner, with memorable victories on and off the field. Far from the days of being the only girl playing on her village’s soccer team, Bonmati led Spain to Women’s World Cup glory in August after helping Barcelona win the Champions League for a second time, while being named the best player at both competitions. The 25-year-old midfielder was also named the best player in the world along with Lionel Messi. Amid all the huge successes, it has also been a fraught time for Bonmatí after she and her fellow Spain teammates decided they would not be silent when the now-former president of the Spanish soccer federation Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the World Cup awards ceremony, drawing attention away from their greatest achievement. While Bonmatí says that taking a stand was a source of pride and strength for the players in their struggle for equality, it has taken its toll – even if Spain has been crushing its opponents in the Nations League in the aftermath of the worst of the crisis caused by Rubiales.
“Right now, both Barça and Spain are playing great, so perhaps the fight for social causes and equality have brought us together even more, but this is also a question of just being professionals,” Bonmatí told The Associated Press on Thursday at Barcelona’s training grounds in an interview conducted both in English and Spanish. Bonmatí and her teammates for Spain had to rebel against their own federation and refuse to play not once, but twice, over the past year to denounce what they considered to be discriminatory attitudes and practices inside the governing body of Spanish soccer. Leveraging their new status as world champions, they were able to finally force the ousting of Rubiales, and their coach, along with securing improvements in staff, travel and assistance for players with young children. That has also coincided with a strike by players for Spain’s women’s league to get a higher minimum wage. “It has all gone so fast, and what all we are thinking about is the time when we can only focus on soccer and leave other issues behind us,” she said. “We have enough to think about just with training and winning games for on top of that to have to pay attention to other things that sap our energy, generate stress and are not good for our health. So we are all ready to get back to soccer.” Part of the overhaul of the federation has included the removal of the term “women’s” from its national soccer team. Both the men’s and women’s teams are now called officially Spain’s national football teams. “If you talk about soccer’ and women’s soccer’ you are differentiating between them and giving more importance to men’s soccer by calling it ‘soccer’,” she said. “Soccer is soccer, no matter who plays it.” Aitana Bonmatí, the Ballon d’Or winner and UEFA Player of the Year, has achieved remarkable success both for Spain and Barcelona. As the top playmaker and an improved scoring threat, she played a pivotal role for both teams during the Women’s World Cup, scoring three goals and providing two assists that led Spain to victory. Her playing style has drawn comparisons to Barcelona legends like Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández. Bonmatí remains humble, acknowledging areas for improvement, such as her finishing and the use of her right foot. Despite her growing fame, she reflects on her journey from a 7-year-old aspiring footballer to a global star. Bonmatí’s dedication and resilience have propelled her to the pinnacle of women’s football.
