Aitana Bonmatí picked up her second consecutive Ballon d’Or in Paris in October. The top two players next to her in the top 3 were also FC Barcelona players, Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo. Two more blaugrana players finished in the top 10 with Mariona Caldentey (now playing for Arsenal) finished at eight and former two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas following at tenth place. Meaning half of the world’s top ten players selected were Barcelona players.
The Steady Rise of Barcelona players
In comparison, in the first two editions of the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018 and 2019, no Barcelona player had made the top ten. By 2021, Barcelona won their first UEFA Women’s Champions League title. Two years prior, the now three-time UWCL winners lost their first Champions League final 1-4 at the feet of Lyon. In the meantime, the club committed, invested and confided in a long-term project.
Dedication from both the Barcelona board and the players resulted in the club not losing a league title since 2019, four Ballon d’Or, three UWCL titles and record-breaking attendances. An investment that not many clubs have done to a grandiose extent in terms of amount of money, but the few that have are now able to see the fruits of their investment.
The quality on the pitch has only gotten better and fans in Barcelona and around the world took notice. Almost every match where Barcelona are the visitors a complete sell-out can be expected. The effect that this team have had on women’s football has been significant to set a new standard for every club to strive for.
Deloitte Study: the numbers of barcelona
According to Deloitte, in 2023, FC Barcelona women generated a revenue of €13,4 million; a 74% increase from the prior year. While most of this revenue was commercial (€8,5m), the club still managed to generate an income of €2,9m from match days.
As a unique example, Barcelona have by now sold out the 90,000 capacity Camp Nou twice. They have made a neutral UWCL final venue like San Mames, Bilbao, and Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, look like home matches with their club anthem echoing throughout the arenas. You can even see women’s shirts on a casual while walking through the city centre of Barcelona, also murals all over the city and fans consistently showing up to every single match. Ultimately showing, investment does pay off.
