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Aitana Bonmatí Wins Third Straight Ballon d'Or, Reflects on Burnout and Balance

She presents the award as a byproduct of sustained work with a focus on returning to everyday routine.

Overview

  • At Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, Bonmatí posed with her three Ballons d'Or wearing her No. 14 Barça shirt following the Paris gala.
  • She said having three trophies has not changed her life, noting she feels most herself back in her village square with friends.
  • Bonmatí described confusion over the gala's unusual reveal, saying she and Mariona were unexpectedly mic'd before she improvised her speech.
  • She acknowledged a two-to-three-month spell of feeling burnt out early last season and attributed it to an exceptionally heavy match load before recovering.
  • The hat-trick makes her the first woman to win three in a row, a run previously achieved consecutively only by Lionel Messi and Michel Platini, as she downplayed chasing a fourth and emphasized team goals.