Getty/GOALThe Barcelona midfielder has defended the prize she won 12 months ago – but where did the other nominees place in the final reckoning?
The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2023-24 campaign, the winner of the 2024 Women's Golden Ball has been announced: Aitana Bonmati.
Bonmati was the standout performer for Barcelona, who won all four trophies available to them, including the Champions League after the Spanish side defeated Lyon in the final, with Bonmati opening the scoring in Bilbao.
She also played a key role in Spain winning the inaugural Women's Nations League, though La Roja couldn't repeat their World Cup success from 2023 at the Olympics as they finished fourth in Paris, with the resurgent United States instead taking gold.
Regardless, Bonmati did enough to secure a second-successive Golden Ball, beating off competition from her Barca team-mates Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo, who finished second and third, respectively.
That trio were up at the very top of the rankings for 2024, but how did the rest of the 30-player shortlist shake out when all the votes were counted? Check out the official rankings below:
