Izuchukwu OkosiSpain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati was awarded the Women’s Ballon D’Or award for 2022/2023 season during the ceremony on Monday night and she dedicated the feat to her Barcelona teammates and staff of the club.
The award adds to the feather of the player who only in August was crowned UEFA’s Women’s Player of th Year in August 2023.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWinning the Ballon D’Or for the first time was understandably a glorious moment for the incredibly talented Bonmati who had a great 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The 25-year-old also enjoyed a hugely successful year as she helped her club triumph in the Spanish top flight and in the Women’s Champions League.
Spain’s achievement was however overshadowed by the controversial kissing saga involving teammate Jennifer Hermoso and suspended former FA Boss Luis Rubiales.
Sam Kerr of Chelsea and Australia finished second, Barcelona and Spain teenager Salma Paralluelo was third, and Fridolina Rolfo of Barcelona and Sweden finished fourth.
“I’m very proud to win the Ballon D’Or. Football is a collective sport so I’d like to extend this prize to my team-mates and staff,” Bonmati enthused.
She added at the end of her speech in English: “Finally congratulations to the other nominees. They’re great footballers.
“As role models we have a responsibility on and off the pitch. We should be more than athletes and keep leading by example and fighting together for a better, peaceful and equal world.”
England goalkeeper Mary Earps achieved a fifth place finish while team-mate Rachel Daly was 10th.
Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala finished in 20th place on the Ballon D’Or rankings with one nomination.
The four-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year winner will be on duty later Tuesday evening for Nigeria in the reverse leg of the second round of qualifiers to the Women’s Football event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The game against the Lucy of Ethiopia kicks off at 4pm at the MKO Abiola stadium, Abuja.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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