Aitana Bonmatí facts for kids
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Bonmatí with Barcelona in 2024
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Aitana Bonmatí i Conca | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Aitana Bonmatí Guidonet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 January 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | Ribes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Cubelles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Barcelona B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Barcelona | 204 | (72) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Spain U17 | 13 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Spain U19 | 15 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Spain U20 | 9 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Spain | 83 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Catalonia | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:09, 24 July 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:15, 23 July 2025 (UTC) |
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Aitana Bonmatí i Conca (born 18 January 1998) is a talented Spanish footballer. She plays as a midfielder for Liga F club Barcelona. Aitana also represents the Spain national team. Many people consider her one of the best players in women's football. By 2023, she had won almost every major award a European player could achieve. Her 2022–23 season was one of the most successful ever for any footballer.
Aitana joined Barcelona in 2012 and trained at their famous La Masia academy. She moved up to the first team for the 2016–17 season. Aitana became a key player during the 2018–19 season. With Barcelona, she has won many titles. These include five league titles and three UEFA Women's Champions League titles. She was named MVP of the Champions League final in 2021. Aitana also won the Ballon d'Or Féminin in 2023, 2024, and 2025. She is the first player to win this award three times. She also received The Best FIFA Women's Player Award in 2023 and 2024.
For Spain, Aitana achieved success with the under-17, under-19, and under-20 teams. She won two UEFA Women's Youth Championships. She was also a runner-up in two FIFA Youth Women's World Cups. Aitana joined the senior national team in 2017. She played in the 2019 Women's World Cup and 2022 Women's Euro. In the 2023 World Cup, Spain won the title. Aitana was a star player and won the Golden Ball award. She also helped Spain win the 2024 UEFA Women's Nations League. In 2024, she became the first footballer to win the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year.
Who is Aitana Bonmatí?
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Aitana Bonmatí was born on 18 January 1998. Her birthplace was Vilanova i la Geltrú in Catalonia, Spain. She grew up in Sant Pere de Ribes. Her parents, Vicent Conca and Rosa Bonmatí, were teachers. They taught her to love reading from a young age.
Family and Education
Aitana's parents worked to change a law about surnames in Spain. They wanted mothers' surnames to be listed first. Aitana was one of the first people to have her mother's surname, Bonmatí, as her first name. Her father's surname, Conca, became her second. Aitana studied physical activity and sports science at Ramon Llull University. She graduated in 2021. She also started a master's degree in sport management.
Starting Football Young
Aitana played basketball as a child. But at age seven, she discovered football and loved it more. She started playing in local boys' teams. Her first coach noticed her strong tackling and ability to start attacks. He compared her to famous defender Carles Puyol. Aitana was very competitive and always wanted to improve. She joined Barcelona's youth academy at 13. She traveled two hours by public transport for training. Her football idols were Barcelona midfielders Xavi and Andrés Iniesta.
Club Career with FC Barcelona
Rising Through the Ranks
Aitana joined Barcelona's youth teams in 2012. She played for their Juvenil-Cadet squad. With this team, she won league titles and Copa Catalunya competitions. At first, she didn't think football could be a professional career. But in 2015, Barcelona made its women's team professional. This made Aitana decide to stay.
After two years, she moved to the Barcelona B team. She helped them win the Segunda Division, Group III championship in 2015–16. She scored fourteen goals that season. Aitana then joined the first team.
First Team Success
Aitana made her first team debut in the 2016 Copa de la Reina. She provided an assist in her first game. Later, she helped Barcelona win the Copa Catalunya, her first senior title. She also made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut. In her first season, she scored two goals in thirteen league games. She scored Barcelona's fourth goal in the 2017 Copa de la Reina final, which they won.
In the 2017–18 season, Aitana scored her first Champions League goal. This was in a match against Gintra Universitetas. She also helped Barcelona win the 2018 Copa de la Reina.
Becoming a Star Player
The 2018–19 season was a big year for Aitana. She played regularly for the first team in Spain and in the Champions League. Barcelona reached their first Champions League final. Even though they lost, Aitana's strong play caught everyone's attention. She finished the season with twelve league goals.
In 2019, Aitana signed a new contract with Barcelona. She was named Catalan women's player of the year. She made her 100th appearance for Barcelona in 2020. That year, Barcelona won the Supercopa de España and her first league title.
In the 2020–21 season, Aitana scored in the Copa de la Reina final. She was named the MVP of the final. She also scored in the Champions League final against Chelsea. Barcelona won 4–0, and Aitana was named the Champions League final MVP. Her goal was voted the 5th best of the tournament.
Aitana continued her amazing performance in the 2021–22 season. She scored many goals and helped Barcelona win the Supercopa de España and the Copa de la Reina. She also scored in a Champions League quarter-final at Camp Nou. This match had over 91,000 fans.
In the 2022–23 season, Aitana took on a central role. She had an incredible season, winning every tournament her teams played in. She was named player of the tournament in all of them. She also won the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award and the Ballon d'Or Féminin. This was a record-breaking season for any footballer.
In the 2023–24 season, Aitana continued to shine. She helped Barcelona win their fifth league title in a row. They also won the Copa de la Reina. On 25 May, Aitana scored the first goal in the Champions League final against Lyon. Barcelona won 2–0, securing their third Champions League title. Aitana was named MVP of the final and the tournament.
Playing for Spain
Youth National Teams
Aitana played for Spain's national teams at every youth level. At 15, she played in the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship. She scored two goals against Germany. Spain reached the final but finished as runner-up. She also played in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
In 2015, Aitana helped Spain U-17 win the 2015 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship. She scored a goal and converted a penalty in the semi-final shootout. Spain won the final 5–2, and Aitana was named to the Team of the Tournament.
Aitana was also part of the Spain U-19 team that won the 2017 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. She captained the team to victory against France in the final. This win qualified Spain for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Aitana captained the U-20 team in this World Cup. Spain reached the final but lost to Japan.
Senior National Team Achievements
In November 2017, Aitana was called up to the senior national team. She made her debut against Austria. In 2018, she helped Spain win the Cyprus Cup, her first senior international title.
Aitana was part of Spain's squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Spain reached the knockout rounds for the first time. She also played in the 2022 Women's Euro.
In 2022, Aitana and other players worked with the national team to improve conditions. She returned to the squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. In this tournament, she scored two goals and assisted two more in a 5–1 win against Switzerland. Spain won the World Cup, and Aitana received the Golden Ball as the best player.
On 28 February 2024, Aitana scored in the final of the 2023-24 UEFA Women's Nations League against France. Spain won 2–0, securing another international trophy. Aitana was selected for the Spanish team for the UEFA Women's Euro 2025. She had viral meningitis just before the tournament, but was discharged and joined the team in Switzerland. Spain finished as runner-up in the tournament.
How Aitana Plays
Aitana Bonmatí is known for her "pure elegance" on the field. She is a very versatile player. She can play in different midfield positions. Experts say she is "technically gifted" and has "superb vision."
Her former coaches describe her as intense and very competitive. She is good with both feet. They also note her "innate elegance in driving the ball." Aitana sees her short height as an advantage. It gives her a low center of gravity, making it hard for opponents to tackle her.
Famous coach Pep Guardiola said he is "completely in love with her for the way she plays." He compared her to the legendary midfielder Andrés Iniesta.
Awards and Trophies
Barcelona B
- Segunda División: 2015–16 (Group-III)
Barcelona
- Primera División: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24
- Copa de la Reina: 2017, 2018, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Supercopa de España: 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Copa Catalunya: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Spain U17
- UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship: 2015; runner-up 2014
- FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: runner-up 2014
Spain U19
- UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship: 2017; runner-up 2016
Spain U20
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: runner-up 2018
Spain
- FIFA Women's World Cup: 2023
- UEFA Women's Championship runner-up: 2025
- UEFA Women's Nations League: 2023–24
Individual
- The Best FIFA Women's Player: 2023, 2024, 2025
- Ballon d'Or Féminin: 2023, 2024, 2025
- Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: 2024
- Golden Player Woman Award: 2023, 2024
- FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball: 2023
- UEFA Women's Player of the Year: 2022–23
- UEFA Women's Champions League Player of the Season: 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- UEFA Women's Championship Player of the Tournament: 2025
- UEFA Women's Championship Team of the Tournament: 2022, 2025
- IFFHS Women's Player of the Year: 2023, 2024
- IFFHS Women's Playmaker of the Year: 2023, 2024
- UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2015
- Copa de la Reina Final MVP: 2019–20
- Supercopa de España Femenina Final MVP: 2022–23
- Catalan Player of the Year: 2019
- UEFA Women's Champions League Final MVP: 2021, 2024
- UEFA Women's Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24 2024–25
- Premi Barça Jugadors (Barça Players Award): 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
- IFFHS Women's World Team: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- World Soccer Women's World Player of the Year: 2023, 2024
- Globe Soccer Best Women's Player of the Year: 2023
- FIFA FIFPRO Women's World 11: 2023, 2024
- IFFHS Women's UEFA Team: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- UEFA Women's Nations League Player of the Finals: 2024
- The Best FIFA Women's 11: 2024
In November 2023, Bonmatí was named to the BBC's 100 Women list.
Images for kids
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The Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, meeting Bonmatí in May 2024
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Bonmatí slide-tackling Amel Majri of Lyon during the 2019 UWCL Final
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See also
In Spanish: Aitana Bonmatí para niños
