"We don't have the equality we deserve" - Barcelona superstar Aitana Bonmati makes honest claim on state of women's footballÂ
Barcelona superstar Aitana Bonmati made an honest claim about the inequality between men's and women's football in a candid interview.
The FCB Femeni superstar was voted into the 2023 FIFPro Women's World XI last month at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony. She had an unbelievable 2023, lifting the title and being named the most valuable player in every single tournament that she competed in (Liga F, Spanish Super Cup, Spanish Cup, UEFA Women's Champions League and FIFA Women's World Cup).
For her incredible season, the midfielder also won the 2023 Women's Ballon d'Or. However, she took the greatest pride in being part of 'a powerful generation of women who are changing the rules of the game and the world'.
Bonmati has been known to use her platform and fame to raise awareness about the women's game and the problems surrounding it. She was also part of the 'Las 15', a group within the Spanish national team that protested against the discrimination of women by the RFEF.
When asked about what changes are needed to uplift women's football, Bonmati said (via FIFPro):
"There are many things that need to be done. To say one would be to ignore many others. I wouldn't just pick one but it's clear that we have seen many things [in 2023] that are not pleasant and it's clear that we don't have the equality we deserve. There is still a long way to go and I hope that with our struggle we can also contribute to this improving."
A graduate of Barcelona's academy, Bonmati made her debut for Barca at the age of 18 in 2016. Since then, she has made 259 appearances for the club, netting a staggering 91 goals as a box-to-box midfielder.
The midfielder has won four Liga F titles and two UEFA Women's Champions League titles among other trophies for the Blaugrana. She has also made 62 appearances for Spain, scoring 23 goals in the process.
Spain Women lift the first Women's Nations League trophy, Barcelona superstar Bonmati scores in final
Barcelona superstar Aitana Bonmati led Spain to a 2-0 victory against France in the final of the first-ever Women's Nations League.
Bonmati scored the opener in the 32nd minute, volleying a cross from Real Madrid Femenino's Olga Carmona first time into the top right corner. It was her fourth goal in eight games at the tournament.
Her Barcelona teammate tMariona Caldentey added the cherry on top in the 53rd minute as Spain lifted their second major piece of silverware in two years.
With the Women's European Championships coming up in 2025, Bonmati will be looking to make it a hat-trick of trophies with Spain to extend their dominance in women's football.