Bonmatí has been with Barcelona since 2012, developing throughLa Masia for six years. She was promoted to Barcelona's first team ahead of the2016–17 season, and made off-the-bench appearances for the club until her break-out year in the2018–19 season. With the team she has won five league titles, sixCopas de la Reina, fiveSupercopas, fourCopas Catalunyas and threeUEFA Women's Champions League titles, including threetrebles and acontinental quadruple. She was named MVP ofthe final when Barcelona won their first Champions League in 2021, before becoming the centre of the team in their2022–23 and2023–24 seasons. She followed teammateAlexia Putellas in winning multiple major individual titles, winning theBallon d'Or Féminin in 2023, 2024, and 2025 (making her the first player to win the award three times),[8]The Best FIFA Women's Player Award in 2023 and 2024, and the UEFA Women's Player of the Year in 2023, after which it was merged with the Ballon d'Or Féminin.
Her parents were involved in the movement to abandonSpanish naming customs (which had the paternal surname being listed first), but could not legally do so when Bonmatí was born.[13][16] Her mother initially registered as a single parent and for the first two years of her life she was known as Aitana Bonmatí Guidonet. During this time her parents campaigned and took a case to parliament to change Bonmatí's name,[13][17] seeking advice fromImma Mayol [ca] and legal experts to form a proposal to change the legislation.[6] In May 1999, when Spain was on the verge of changing the law, Rosa Bonmatí appeared onBon dia, Catalunya to present the argument in favour.[13][16] The law was changed in late 1999 and ratified in early 2000; Bonmatí was one of the first people in Spain to have her maternal surname as her first surname, and her paternal surname (Conca) as her second surname.[13][14][18] In 2023, Bonmatí honoured her parents, saying: "You fought for change and you succeeded, I carry that fight and resilience in my blood."[19]
Bonmatí played basketball in her childhood, but began playing football on the playground at school and decided she preferred this at the age of seven.[24][25] Her father noted her to be competitive and self-critical since she was a young child, and worried that she did not enjoy playing due to being too focused on achieving more; Bonmatí said in 2023 that she is "never happy with what I do because I always want more."[25] She is a lifelong fan ofFC Barcelona, and would watch the men's games at a local bar in Ribes in her childhood.[26] After playing in local boys' teams,[14] Bonmatí joinedBarcelona'syouth section at the age of 13, to play in their girls' teams.[27] At the time, the girls' youth section did not have an on-site residential facility, and she had to travel on public transport (accompanied by her father) for the two-hour journey, as her father does not drive and her mother hasfibromyalgia andchronic fatigue.[28][29][6] Her idols growing up were Barcelona midfieldersXavi andAndrés Iniesta;[30] by 2023, she had a close friendship with Xavi, who wrote that he was proud she had inherited the Barça DNA.[31]
She has aflexitarian plant-based diet and puts a lot of focus on getting good rest.[25] Since she was 13 she has visited a psychologist to "be good with [herself]", and advocates for taking care of mental health.[15] Bonmatí also enjoys travelling as a means of disconnecting, and cites a trip to Vietnam as having had a profound effect.[26] She studiedphysical activity andsports science atRamon Llull University, graduating in 2021,[32][33] and started a master's degree insport management at theJohan Cruyff Institute in September 2022.[34]
Bonmatí joined the local CD Ribes team when she was seven, playing there for four years and improving greatly.[14] Within the club there were around 400 boys, and Bonmatí was the only girl. She started out as a defender, due to her physicality and fearlessness in tackling, as well as her "ability to steal the ball and initiate attacks [that] showcased her strength on the pitch"; her first coach compared her to legendary Barcelonacentre-backCarles Puyol but still moved her into the midfield to have more influence on attacking play.[6] She then changed club and played for two years at CF Cubelles, as she liked their style of play; what she liked in football was playing on the ball and taking good touches, something she was able to do at Cubelles. The only girl in her youth teams,[14] she was teased by the boys for her short stature.[37] She appreciated playing in boys' teams, though, believing this helped improve her strength and intensity.[38]
Barcelona, 2012–16
Joining Barcelona as a teenager, Bonmatí started in theirJuvenil-Cadet ranks, then the second-highest girls' development team. In 2013, with Juvenil-Cadet, Bonmatí won the respective league and Copa Catalunya competitions.[39] The next season, she again won the league with Juvenil-Cadet, the team being undefeated.[40] They lost the final of the Copa Catalunya on penalties; Bonmatí converted her penalty in their 2–4 shootout loss toSant Gabriel.[41] Despite her success, Bonmatí "wondered if it was worth all the effort" at times, considering the exhausting travel and mental toll.[6] She also did not initially aspire to play football professionally, due to lack of any examples, even at Barcelona. While in the youth sections, Bonmatí heard about the professionalisation ofwomen's football in the United States and made plans to go there to have a career, intending to join theUniversity of Oregon programme. In 2015, Barcelona made its women's team professional, and Bonmatí decided to stay.[26]
Bonmatí moved up to become aBarcelona B player after two years at the club. During her time with the B team, she sparingly made appearances for the first team in preseason. Throughout the2015–16 season, Bonmatí played an important part in winning the championship ofSegunda Division, Group III for the first time in the club's history, scoring fourteen goals.[42][43] At the end of the season she was brought into the first team by managerXavi Llorens.[44]
Barcelona
2015–16
Bonmatí made her first team competitive debut at the end of the2015–16 season during the quarter-finals of the2016 Copa de la Reina againstReal Sociedad, playing as afalse 9 and providing an assist toBárbara Latorre.[45][29] She continued to feature in the tournament as a substitute, coming on late in the match during a 3–0 semi-final win againstLevante.[46] Bonmatí featured in the final againstAtletico Madrid, subbing on forGemma Gili in a match that finished a 2–3 loss for Barcelona.[47]
2016–17
At the start of the2016–17 season she played in both matches of theCopa Catalunya, also scoring in both. The final againstEspanyol ended with a 6–0 win for Bonmatí's first senior title with the club.[48][49] She made herUEFA Women's Champions League debut in the Round of 32 againstFK Minsk.[50] Bonmatí was used sparingly her first season with the senior team, making thirteen league appearances with three starts and scoring two goals – a brace againstOiartzun.[51] She scored Barcelona's fourth goal in the final of the2017 Copa de la Reina, a 4–1 win over Atlético Madrid.[52]
2017–18
In the 2017–18 season, Bonmatí continued to sparingly make appearances, mostly in theleague. Her only goal of the season was also her first ever Champions League goal in a Round of 16 match againstLithuanian clubGintra Universitetas.[53][54] She came on forToni Duggan in the2018 Copa de la Reina final that went into extra-time and ended with a Barcelona win, her second major title with the club.[55]
The 2018–19 season was a break-out season for Bonmatí as she consistently made first team appearances in Spain. She also made regular Champions League appearances, scoring once againstGlasgow City in the Round of 16.[56] Barcelona made it to their first everChampions League final where she started the match, and despite a 4–1 loss toLyon, she had a moment that went viral when she outranShanice van de Sanden down the right-wing to prevent a counter-attack.[37] Bonmatí ended her season with twelve league goals and played all but 5 matches in all competitions.
2019–20
Despite an approach fromBayern Munich, Bonmatí signed a new contract with Barcelona in the summer of 2019 that would keep her at the club until 2022.[57][58] For her performances with Barcelona andSpain in theprevious season, she won Catalan women's player of the year with 68% of the vote.[59]
In 2020, she made her 100th appearance for Barcelona, coming on as a substitute againstTacón.[60] Following a brief period of injury, she was substituted on in both matches of theSupercopa de España, including the final that Barcelona won 10–1 overReal Sociedad.[61] Months later, following a decision from theRFEF to suspend the2019–20 league season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Barcelona were given the title, making it Bonmatí's first league title with the club as a senior player.
2020–21
In the middle of the 2020–21 season, Bonmatí played the final of the2019–20 Copa de la Reina againstLogroño, postponed a year later than normal due toCOVID-19 concerns. She scored Barcelona's second goal of the final from a shot just inside the area, and earned the title of Copa de la Reina Final MVP for her performance.[62]
In the semi-finals ofthat season's Champions League, Bonmatí provided an assist toJenni Hermoso that brought Barcelona to a 1–1 draw in the first leg againstParis Saint-Germain. Barcelona won the second leg against PSG 2–1, where she started and was subbed out in the 79th minute forAsisat Oshoala.[63] On 16 May 2021, she started her secondChampions League final, this time againstChelsea. She scored off a ball fromAlexia Putellas by dribbling pastJess Carter, giving Barcelona a 3–0 lead in the 21st minute.[64] Barcelona finished the match as champions with a resounding 4–0 win, and Bonmatí's performance in the match earned her Champions League final MVP.[65] Her goal was also voted 5th-best of the tournament, and she was included in the UWCL Squad of the Season for the first time.[66][67] Later in the year, Bonmatí was listed as a nominee to theUEFA Women's Champions League Midfielder of the Season award.[68]
Following the season, Bonmatí was in high demand and received transfer offers from teams in England, France, and Germany. In June 2021, Lyon reportedly offered to quadruple Bonmatí's salary along with paying Barcelona a€500,000 transfer fee – double theworld record at the time – for her; though Barcelona was in a period of economic uncertainty, neither the club nor Bonmatí wanted her to move.[69]
2021–22
On 29 September 2021, Bonmatí scored her first goal of the2021–22 season as she scored the fourth goal in Barcelona's 8–0 league victory againstVillarreal. On 17 October, she scored a brace againstSporting Huelva in a 5–0 win. She scored her firstUWCL goal of the season as she scored against1899 Hoffenheim in a 5–0 victory. On 31 December, Bonmatí renewed her contract with Barcelona until June 2025.[70]
On 8 January 2022, she suffered an injury to her right leg in the 30th minute in a match againstGranadilla Tenerife and was ruled out for around a month. On 23 January, Barcelona won theSupercopa de España while she was sidelined with injury. On 6 February, she marked her return from injury by scoring the final goal in a 7–0 thrashing ofEibar. On 30 March, she scored the second equalizing goal in a 5–2 (8–3 aggregate) win againstReal Madrid in the 2nd leg of the UWCL quarter-final, which was played atCamp Nou in front of 91,553 spectators. A few weeks later, on 22 April, at the same ground in front of a record 91,648 spectators, she opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 3rd minute in a 5–1 victory againstWolfsburg in the UWCL semi-final 1st leg. On 8 May, she scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win overRayo Vallecano. A week later, she scored the second goal in a 2–1 win over Atlético Madrid in the final league match of the season, before being sent off in the final minutes of the game, as her team won the league with a perfect record. On 21 May, she started in the UWCL final as Barcelona lost 1–3 to Lyon. On 25 May, she scored the second goal in a 4–0 victory over Real Madrid in theCopa de la Reina. Four days later, she played in the Copa de la Reina final as Barcelona won 6–1 against Sporting Huelva to win the title.
2022–23
Ahead of the2022–23 season, Putellasruptured her ACL, leading to Bonmatí taking Putellas' position on the pitch for Barcelona. In the attacking midfield role,[71][72] Bonmatí had what Nike summarised as "The best season. Of any footballer. Ever."[73] She won every tournament that her teams could compete in, being named the player of the tournament in all of them with such an accolade, and was recognised with theUEFA Women's Player of the Year Award and theBallon d'Or Féminin for the season.[71][74][72] No player, male or female, had a more decorated season before.[75]
2023–24
Bonmatí in March 2024
Bonmatí retained the attacking midfield role in the2023–24 season, with captain Alexia Putellas returning but playing more as a striker to best utilise the strengths of the whole team.[72]
On 4 May 2024, Bonmatí played the entire match as Barcelona won 4–1 against Granada to lift their fifth consecutive league title.[76] On 18 May, Barcelona won 8–0 against Real Sociedad to win the Copa de la Reina.[citation needed] On 25 May, Bonmatí opened the scoring for Barcelona in a 2–0 victory over Lyon inthe Champions League final to secure her and Barcelona's third (and second consecutive) Champions League title; in doing so, Barcelona achieved their second continental treble and first continental quadruple. Bonmatí was named MVP of the final and of the tournament as a whole, having six goals and six assists to also be top goal contributor. Excelling in other competitions, she was given a perfect 10 rating for the season bySport, which suggested she was favourite to take more individual titles.[77]
At 15 years old, Bonmatí was called up as part ofSpain's squad for the2014 UEFA Women's U-17 Euro. She scored her first U-17 national team goals with a brace againstGermany in a 4–0 group stage win, helping Spain finish first in Group B.[78] From there, Spain advanced past the semi-finals after a 2–1 win againstEngland. Bonmatí reached the final where she started the match, but ultimately finished runner-up in the tournament as Spain lost to Germany on penalties. She registered 398 total minutes in the tournament.[27][79]
Months later, she participated in the2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup where she mostly had a substitute role.[80] In the semi-final, Bonmatí was a halftime substitute againstItaly, where Spain advanced after defeating them 2–0.[81] Bonmatí was substituted on in the 53rd minute of the final, where Spain lost 0–2 toJapan.[82]
Additionally, she was a member of theSpain U-17 squad that won the2015 UEFA Women's U-17 Euro. In the group stage, she registered her first and only goal of the tournament in a 4–0 win againstGermany.[83] Spain finished first in Group A where they then facedFrance in the semi-final. She started and played through extra time where the match ended up going to penalties. She converted her penalty to end the shootout 4–3 and advance to the final againstSwitzerland.[84] With a 5–2 win in the final, Bonmatí earned her first international title and was subsequently named to the Team of the Tournament for her standout performances throughout the competition.[85][86]
Bonmatí was part of theSpain U-19 team that won the2017 UEFA Women's Under-19 Euro.[87][88] As part of a suspension, she was forced to sit out of the first three group stage matches after receiving a straight red card in a qualifying match versusBelgium.[89] She made her first tournament appearance as captain in the semi-finals againstNetherlands. Spain advanced to the final againstFrance with a 3–2 win. Bonmatí started and captained the team to a victory against France, snapping Spain's run of three consecutive finals defeats at the U-19 Euro.[90] With their finish, she earned her second international title as Spain were one of the threeUEFA teams to qualify for the2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Bonmatí was again named team captain at the2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[91] In Group C, Spain registered two wins againstJapan andParaguay. They finished first in the group by holding theUnited States to a draw, knocking them out of the tournament in the group stage for the first time. Bonmatí was named the "Dare To Shine" player of the match.[92] In the quarter-finals, she scored twice againstNigeria, but the second goal was not given despite TV replays showing it crossing the goal-line.[93][94] Spain won that match 2–1 and reached the semi-final of the tournament againstFrance. Bonmatí started the match but was sent off with a second yellow card after a challenge on France'sSelma Bacha- the only red card in the entire tournament.[95] Up until her ejection, she had played every minute of the tournament.[96] Spain ended up winning the match, but Bonmatí was suspended for the final where Spain lost 1–3 to Japan.[97]
Bonmatí's first senior international tournament experience came in February 2018 when she was called up to participate in the2018 Cyprus Cup.[100] She made limited appearances throughout the tournament, but with Spain's win in the first-place match againstItaly, she earned her first title with Spain's senior team.[101]
In May 2019, Bonmatí was named to the Spain's2019 FIFA Women's World Cup squad. She featured in two group stage matches – a win againstSouth Africa and a loss againstGermany.[102][103] Spain finished second in Group A and reached the knockout rounds of a Women's World Cup for the first time in their history. They were defeated 1–2 in the Round of 16 by eventual tournament winnersUnited States. Bonmatí finished the tournament with 58 minutes.
Bonmatí was named in Spain's squad for the2020 SheBelieves Cup that was held in March 2020. She played in two of the three matches as Spain finished second behind hosts United States.[106]
She was amongLas 15, a group of players who made themselves unavailable for international selection in September 2022 due to their dissatisfaction with the organisation of the team.[109][110] She described the strike as difficult, due to losing money and sponsors and getting "killed in the press", but knew that things had to change. During the 2022–23 season, Bonmatí had meetings with the federation where she received acknowledgement of the grievances and promises for change, leading to her return to the squad ahead of the2023 World Cup.[26] She was one of three of the fifteen striking players who were recalled for the World Cup.[109][110]
On 21 July 2023, in Spain's opening match of the World Cup, she scored their second goal in a 3–0 win overCosta Rica.[111] On 5 August, Bonmatí scored twice and assisted twice in Spain's 5–1 rout overSwitzerland to reach the quarter-finals.[112] On 20 August, after Spain's 1–0 win over England in thefinal, Bonmatí was named the tournament's best player, receiving theGolden Ball during the end-of-tournament awards.[113]
On 28 February, Bonmatí scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory against France in the final of the2023-24 UEFA Women's Nations League inSeville to clinch her and Spain's second international trophy.[114]
Bonmati was selected for the Spanish team for theUEFA Women's Euro 2025. However, it was revealed two days before Spain were due to fly out to Switzerland that she hadviral meningitis, casting doubt on whether she would be able to participate.[115] She was discharged a few days later, before the start of the Euros, and was hoping to join the team in Switzerland ahead of the tournament.[116]
Style of play
FCF has described Bonmatí as "pure elegance" and has noted her versatility as a player, able to adapt to different positions, play centrally, as amidfielder or as awinger.[59]ESPN said that she is "technically gifted like few of her contemporaries."[19]
After winning her first Catalan Player of the Year award, Jordi Ventura, the coach who signed her to Barcelona's Cadet team, emphasised that she is "an intense player, very competitive and perfectly dominates with both legs." In the same article, former FCB Femeni coachXavi Llorens describes Bonmatí as having "innate elegance in driving the ball" and being "very competitive... versatile, can play in three, four or five positions and does not lower her level."[59]
Ahead of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, FIFA described her in her player profile as "technically gifted" with "superb vision with plenty of character" and "combative when required with an eye for goal."[117]
Bonmatí sees her short stature as an advantage due to her low center of gravity that makes it hard for opponents to take her off the ball.[104]
Pep Guardiola said, "Aitana Bonmatí is a football player who has me completely in love with her for the way she plays. I would say she is like the women's Iniesta."[118]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 23 November 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
In November 2023, Bonmati was named to the BBC's100 Women list.[167]
Notes
^Per thecouncil of Catalonia[2] and the government of Bonmatí's hometown[3] (and other Catalan sources) her full name in Catalan isAitana Bonmatí i Conca.[4]
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England
Azerbaijan
Czech Republic
Moldova
Belgium
Denmark
Faroe Islands
Scotland
Australia
Finland
Costa Rica
Switzerland
Netherlands
France
Japan
South Korea
Portugal
Germany
