{"id":114954,"date":"2023-10-30T23:13:53","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T23:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/30\/spain-and-barcelona-midfielder-aitana-bonmati-wins-award-for-first-time\/"},"modified":"2023-10-30T23:13:53","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T23:13:53","slug":"spain-and-barcelona-midfielder-aitana-bonmati-wins-award-for-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/30\/spain-and-barcelona-midfielder-aitana-bonmati-wins-award-for-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati wins award for first time"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Aitana Bonmati won the award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris
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Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati has won the Women\u2019s Ballon d\u2019Or for the first time.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old enjoyed a hugely successful year as she helped her club triumph in the Spanish top flight and Champions League, and her country win the World Cup in the summer.<\/p>\n

She was also crowned Uefa\u2019s player of the year in August.<\/p>\n

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England goalkeeper Mary Earps achieved a fifth place finish while team-mate Rachel Daly was 10th.<\/p>\n

Fellow Lionesses Millie Bright and Georgia Stanway were also among the nominees.<\/p>\n

Sam Kerr of Chelsea and Australia finished second, Barcelona and Spain teenager Salma Paralluelo was third, and Fridolina Rolfo of Barcelona and Sweden finished fourth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very proud to win the Ballon d\u2019Or,\u201d Bonmati said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFootball is a collective sport so I\u2019d like to extend this prize to my team-mates and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added at the end of her speech in English: \u201cFinally congratulations to the other nominees. They\u2019re great footballers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs role models we have a responsibility on and off the pitch. We should be more than athletes and keep leading by example and fighting together for a better, peaceful and equal world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s World Cup win was\u00a0overshadowed by the fallout\u00a0from Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermoso after the final, which she said was not consensual.<\/p>\n

Bonmati scored three goals at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand as Spain went on to\u00a0beat England in the final.<\/p>\n

She has now won four league titles with Barcelona and two Champions Leagues.<\/p>\n

This was the fifth edition of the Women\u2019s Ballon d\u2019Or, with Bonmati\u2019s Spain and Barcelona team-mate Alexia Putellas winning the past two.<\/p>\n

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