Spain's Aitana Bonmati Claims Third Womens Ballon dOr in Succession

Aitana Bonmati, the standout player for both Barcelona and Spain, collected the Womens Ballon dOr at the Paris ceremony on Monday, marking her third straight victory in this accolade.

She just beat out her Spain teammate Mariona Caldentey, whose national side fell to England in a penalty shootout during the Womens Euro 2025 final back in July.

This 27 year old midfielder faced another setback last season, losing the Womens Champions League final with her club to Arsenal, the team featuring Caldentey.

Even though she sat out the opening two games for Spain at the Euros while battling viral meningitis, Bonmati earned the title of tournaments top performer.

Alessia Russo, a contender from Englands successful European Championship squad, ended up in third position.

The Ballon dOr stands as the premier personal award in football for men and women alike, with Bonmatis three year streak coming right after the two consecutive triumphs by her Barcelona and Spain colleague Alexia Putellas.

Since launching in 2018, the Womens Ballon dOr has gone to just two other athletes, Norways Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe from the USA.