As Lionel Messi prepares to obtain his eighth Ballon d’Or, the women’s Ballon d’Or will be awarded to Spaniard Aitana Bonmati, according to the Catalan press.
The best player of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but also the best player of the Women’s World Cup last June and July, in Australia and New Zealand, are the two 2023 Ballon d’Or winners. Lionel Messi, already record holder of the individual award, has scheduled his trip to Paris on Monday September 30 to receive his 8th sesame.
For the women’s Ballon d’Or, Aitana Bonmati will be the winner, as indicated by the Catalan media Sport. Totally logical. The Spanish midfielder won the World Cup in Oceania by making the difference for La Roja, with 3 goals and 2 assists. Before that, Barça won the Women’s Champions League and this same Bonmati, 25, was voted best player in the competition!
Aitana Bonmati will thus succeed the winners of the Women’s Ballon d’Or (launched in 2018) to the Norwegian Ada Hegerberg, the American Megan Rapinoe and her club teammate Alexia Putellas, crowned during the last two editions. No French player has ever finished on a Ballon d’Or podium and that is unlikely to change in 2023.
