Aitana Bonmatí: NWSL, WSL top Spain in player treatment - ESPN

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