'I haven't slept for days' - Aitana Bonmati overwhelmed by 'dream' Ballon d'Or triumph as Barcelona Femeni star sends special message to club president Joan Laporta

• Bonmati wins Ballon d'Or Feminin
• Spain star 'nervous' on stage
• Thanked president Joan Laporta

WHAT HAPPENED? Bonmati, both a Champions League winner with Barcelona and a World Cup winner with Spain in the last five months, spoke on stage at the Theatre du Chatelet after being presented with her Ballon d'Or trophy.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I'm a little nervous, I haven't slept for a few days. This is a dream for me. I'm a discreet person, but being here is unique," she said when describing her emotions upon receiving the accolade. "Very proud because it has been an exceptional year at a sporting level and, although now I am here to collect an individual award, football is a collective sport. So I would like to extend the award to my teammates, staff and workers from Barça and the national team. Without them, I would not be here today.

"Thanks to the teams I have played for: Ribes, Cubelles and, above all, Barça, my club, headed here today by its president, Joan Laporta. Thank you for betting on us when no one believed, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a professional footballer. Who was going to tell me when I was a girl that I would end up playing in a full Camp Nou? We are a leading club in the world."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Many in the women's football community feel that this Ballon d'Or was a long time coming for Bonmati, who was player of the match in the Champions League final back in 2021. On top of her team triumphs in 2023, on an individual level she had already been awarded the World Cup Golden Ball as the tournament's best player and named UEFA Women's Player of the Year. The 25-year-old is also the hot favourite to scoop the Best FIFA Women's Player too.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Getty

Getty

Getty

WHAT NEXT FOR BONMATI? The aforementioned Best FIFA ceremony is set to take place early next year. In the short term, Bonmati will return to Barcelona duty at the weekend when the reigning champions and early Liga F leaders face Sevilla at home. The Women's Champions League group stage begins with the visit of Benfica on November 14, with the first Clasico of 2023-24 against Real Madrid to be played at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys a few days later.