Aitana Bonmatí: NWSL, WSL top Spain in player treatment

Aitana Bonmatí expressed her dismay at how women footballers in Spain are treated while praising the NWSL and Women’s Super League (WSL) for the manner in which they look after their players.

Bonmatí, 26, won her second successive Ballon d’Or earlier this month after a trophy-laden 2024 that saw her win a historic quadruple with Barcelona as well as the inaugural Women’s Nations League with Spain.

In September, she signed a bumper four-year contract with Barça that, according to ESPN sources, made her the best-paid woman footballer in the world. Despite committing her future to remain in Spain, Bonmatí acknowledges that there are several aspects in which the Liga F lags behind other leagues.

In an interview with ESPN, after finishing top of the ESPN FC Women’s Rank, Bonmatí said: “The league in USA, they are doing the things good in terms of marketing and communication and they want to be the top one, as well as [the WSL] also in England. So I think these both leagues are one of the best in terms of treatment, how they treat the women’s football, how we deserve.

“I always say the same about my league. I’m not happy how they treat us because I think they have a product … the footballers, a good product because we are winners of the Champions League three times and also World Cup winners and Nations League winners. So you have the product to explode that in terms of marketing and commercial to make money because it is important to make money to develop.

“And I think there is a lot to do here and I would like to have a more competitive league because this is the best for the people who are watching us and also for us to be better every year. If you compete in a good league, you can compete with the best players, with the best teams and you can be better.

Bonmatí has previously spoken of how Liga F is being overtaken by other leagues, but she doesn’t believe the Spanish federation is attempting to follow in the leads of the WSL and NWSL.

When asked what it would to take for change to be affected, she said: “I don’t know because we are talking about this every time I have a question about that, I answer the same. We are talking clear[ly] and we are saying what we need, but at least we are doing our job in the field.

“Who has to do their job out of the field? We are not in control. We are not these people. So I would like to have people who are leading these kind of things, that have the capacity to develop this league.

“… Also they have to want because if you want, you will do. If you don’t care, [you won’t].

While the NWSL has grown to become one of the most popular leagues in the women’s game and United States women’s national team won Olympic gold this past summer, Bonmatí believes that gap in quality between the USWNT and the rest of the world has significantly reduced. The USWNT suffered its worst-ever performance at the last Women’s World Cup but won gold under new coach Emma Hayes.

“I think in the last tournaments, USA was the only favourite of the tournament and I don’t see this right now,” she said.

“I see them as a very good team. They are capable to win every single tournament also. But there are other teams that are capable too. And if you see the past, you can show USA here and the other teams here. But for me right now there’s equality and it can be surprising sometimes.”