Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati has won the Ballon d’Or Feminin for the first time.

Bonmati wins the award instead of her teammate Alexia Putellas. Putellas led Spain to victory at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.

The 25-year-old midfielder was named the best player at the World Cup. The Spanish team won the trophy despite problems off the pitch, such as protests against their national federation and coach Jorge Vilda.

She was also a big reason why Barcelona won the Champions League last year, and she was just named the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year.

She was one of 30 people nominated for the award. The other three were all members of the winning Spain team: Alba Redondo, Salma Paralluelo, and full-back Olga Carmona, who scored the game-winning goal.

Sam Kerr, a forward for Chelsea and Australia, came in second place in the final vote. Paralluelo, who played with Bonmati at Barcelona, came in third.

Putellas, who plays with Bonmati at Barcelona, wasn’t nominated because he hurt his knee badly last season and missed almost all of the season.

He had won the Ballon d’Or for the last two seasons in a row. Ada Hegerberg from Norway won the first award in 2018, and Megan Rapinoe from the United States took it over a year later.

There was no winner in 2020 because of the flu.