14. Aitana

One of the most promising players to come out of the youth set, Aitana Bonmatí is now one of the stars of women's football for both club and country. In 2015/16 she led the B team to their first ever Second Division league title. During that season she made her debut for the first team in the Cup. In the summer of 2016 she made the definitive move to the first team squad. 

In 2019 she appeared in the Champions League final and in the World Cup for Spain. The following year she was named MVP in Barça's Champions League final win in Gothenburg, kick starting a new phase in her career as one of the lynchpins of Barça and the national team.

A second Champions League title came in 2023 when she was named player of the tournament following Barça's emotional 3-2 comeback win against Wolfsburg in the final. 

In 2023 Aitana was part of the Spanish World Cup winning squad in Australia and New Zealand where she was named player of the tournament. More accolades arrived as she was named women's Ballon d'Or for the very first time in October 2023 and in January 2024 the midfielder added FIFA's The Best award to her collection. In April 2024 Aitana Bonmatí became the first footballer to take the Laureus World Sportswomen of the Year award. 

Following a season in 2023/24 in which the midfielder helped the team to no less than four trophies: the Spanish Super, the league, the Copa de la Reina and the UEFA Women's Champions League, in October 2024 Aitana was named Ballon d'Or for the second year in a row. That accolade was quickly followed by another when in December 2024 Aitana was named as FIFA's The Best for the second consecutive season. 

TECHNICAL PROFILE

Despite her relative youth, she is a player with great personality, ambition and quality. She is a leader in midfield and has the ability to get into the box also.