It would appear there are a couple of pre-requisites if you want to be crowned the number one women’s player in the world.
The first is that you have to play for Barcelona, the second is that you have to be a Spanish international, and the third is that you have to be a midfielder.
Believe it or not, that is because the women’s Ballon d’Or has just been won by such a player for the fourth-year in a row!
In 2021 and 2022, it was awarded to Alexia Putellas; in 2023 and 2024 it has gone to Aitana Bonmati. It would be easy — and to a certain extent, perfectly reasonable — to consider this a quartet of successes for the same type of footballer, the same footballing approach.
Yet as we highlight Bonmatí’s achievements, alongside the growing recognition of women’s football, her rise into the world’s most revered female footballer represents the evolution of the women’s game in a tactical sense.
As The Athletic noted last week, the women’s game has moved away from individualism and towards collectivism. Until relatively recently, the standout attackers exerted undue dominance over matches; they were physically and technically superior to team-mates and opponents and could run riot single-handedly.
That is not solely the case now as tactical awareness and styles of play have grown and improved significantly.
Aged 26, Bonmati has been integral to that in what has definitely been Spain’s year with the men’s Euro 2024 triumph following on 11 months after the women’s team were crowned world champions.
It was during a Spain match at Euro 2022, a quarter-final they lost to England, at which I had my epiphany. In fact, I am not too embarrassed to admit I was mesmerised by some of the play from the Spanish national team.
I say embarrassed because, until that point, I was not appreciative of what a high standard the women’s game possessed.
Bonmati wasn’t playing that night but the famous Spanish passing carousel was on show and I quickly became interested as to who would triumph in the run-up to the showpiece tournament the following year.
Of course, Bonmati played in that tournament and has been again crucial for club and country this year.
That she scored a career-best tally of 19 goals across all four competitions, helping Barcelona Femení to its first ever quadruple – winning titles in Liga F, the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa de la Reina –ensured she was a winner of a second consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin.
That she also spearheaded Spain’s charge to the inaugural Women’s Nations League title in February with four goals, including one in their 2-0 win over France in the final and then netted the first goal in Barca’s Champions League final triumph over Lyon – (she was also named the tournament’s player of the season) – puts the icing on that particular cake.
In women’s football right now, she is truly the belle of the ball.
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