Aitana Bonmatí wins 2025 Ballon d'Or Féminin for third straight

Aitana Bonmatí was named the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner for women on Monday in Paris, becoming the first woman to claim the award three years in a row. The 27 year old Barcelona and Spain midfielder beat team mate Mariona Caldentey and England striker Alessia Russo to the top prize, capping a season in which she played a central role for club and country.

France Football announced Bonmatí as the recipient at the ceremony in Paris, where Andrés Iniesta presented the trophy. The award follows a campaign in which Bonmatí helped Barcelona to domestic honours and led Spain to the final of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. She was named player of the tournament at the Euros despite missing Spain’s opening two matches while recovering from viral meningitis, and produced a dramatic stoppage time winner in the semi final against Germany to send Spain through to the final.

The victory cements Bonmatí’s place in the history books. She is the first woman to win three consecutive Ballon d'Ors since the women’s prize was established in 2018 and joins an elite group alongside Lionel Messi and Michel Platini, who each won three straight titles on the men’s side. Her run continues a five year stretch in...