Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmatí has once again been recognised as the best player in women’s football after retaining the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year award, marking a third successive triumph at the sport’s annual global honours.
The 27-year-old midfielder played a central role in Spain’s run to the Euro 2025 final, where she was named player of the tournament despite her side finishing runners-up to England. At club level, she helped Barcelona secure a domestic treble and remained influential in Europe, even as the Catalan side fell short in the Champions League final.
Her consistency across competitions was further underlined by UEFA recognition as player of the season, having registered nine goal contributions in 11 Champions League appearances. Speaking after receiving the FIFA award, Bonmatí paid tribute to her teammates, coaches and supporters, describing the honour as a collective achievement rather than an individual one.
Bonmatí’s latest success adds to a remarkable recent run that has already seen her make history as the first player to win the Women’s Ballon d’Or three times, following earlier victories in 2023 and 2024.
On a night that celebrated excellence across the women’s game, England manager Sarina Wiegman was named FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year for a fifth time. Wiegman guided the Lionesses through a challenging build-up to Euro 2025 before steering them to a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Spain in the final, sealing a second consecutive European title.
Wiegman described the award as recognition of the wider England setup, praising the unity and resilience shown by her squad and staff throughout the tournament. She edged out competition from Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor and Arsenal coach Renée Slegers.
England’s success was further reflected in the goalkeeping category, where Hannah Hampton was crowned FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year. The Chelsea and England number one was instrumental during Euro 2025, collecting the Golden Glove after a series of commanding performances, and later completed a domestic treble with Chelsea during an unbeaten league campaign.
Hampton credited both her club and international coaches for their trust and highlighted the role of supporters in driving the team forward during a landmark season.
The awards ceremony also saw recognition for brilliance and flair, with Lizbeth Ovalle claiming the Marta Award for the best goal in women’s football following her acrobatic scorpion kick in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil earlier in the year.
Barcelona’s dominance was evident in the Women’s Best XI, with the Spanish champions providing the backbone of the team alongside several members of England’s European Championship-winning squad, reflecting a year in which club and international success were closely intertwined at the top of the women’s game.
