Aitana Bonmatí is hungry for more titles after winning her third Ballon d’Or Féminin on Monday.
The Barcelona and Spain star became the first woman to take the award three times while she joined Michel Platini and Lionel Messi as the third player to have won three consecutively.
“There are still things left to achieve,” Bonmatí told reporters after Monday’s gala in Paris.
“I think ambition and a [winning] mentality is what drives me. I’m going to continue adding to football and to my club.”
Bonmatí, 27, helped Barcelona to a domestic treble last season and came close to winning two more titles. Barcelona were beaten by Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League final in May while Spain lost to England on penalties in the Women’s European Championship in July.
Bonmatí was also named Player of the Tournament at this summer’s Euros. “This year we lost a European Championship by a minimum margin and that was painful,” the 2023 World Cup winner said.
Bonmatí beat Spanish team-mate Mariona Caldentey and England’s Alessia Russo to the Ballon d’Or. The Barcelona midfielder revealed she had not prepared an acceptance speech for Monday’s gala and for good reason.
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Caldentey and Russo won the Champions League with Arsenal while Russo was in the Lionesses team which beat both Spanish players in the Euros final.
“Anything could have happened, another colleague could have won it and that’s why I didn’t prepare my speech,” Bonmatí said.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta, meanwhile, said Bonmatí, a three-time Women’s Champions League winner, fully deserved the recognition.
“Aitana was surprised,” Laporta said.
“She was euphoric. But she deserves it. She led Barça to reach the Champions League final and in a final anything can happen.”