da roleta： England ace Alex Greenwood considers Aitana Bonmati to be the world’s best, as the Spaniard operates at a “different level” with a top “football IQ”.

da doce： Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Lionesses made World Cup final in 2023Tamed by Ballon d'Or Feminin winnerFIFA Best awards to be handed out on Jan 15WHAT HAPPENED?

Greenwood suffered World Cup final heartache at the hands of Bonmati in 2023, with Spain edging out the brave Lionesses 1-0 to claim a global crown in Sydney. Barcelona’s superstar midfielder walked off with the Golden Ball at the end of that tournament, and has since landed the prestigious Ballon d’Or Feminin.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT GREENWOOD SAID

Bonmati is also the favourite to land The Best FIFA Women’s Player Award at a glitzy ceremony on January 15, with Greenwood – who made the initial 16-player shortlist for that prize – telling when discussing the finest players on the planet: “For me, Aitana Bonmati is one of the best if not the best player in the world. She sees the game on a different level and her football IQ is top class. Linda Caicedo is going to be a top player in the future and I'm sure she'll be in the frame for many more of these awards. She's pretty special. And Jenni Hermoso, another World Cup winner, is another excellent player. It is a tough question [to choose the winner], but I'd go for Aitana.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Greenwood faced all three FIFA Best finalists at the 2023 World Cup as England locked horns with Colombia and Spain. The Manchester City defender added on earning a place among the global elite: “It was a massive honour to be on that list. If you look through the nominees, the names on there are fantastic individuals. The girls who have made it to the final three are top, top players. Personally, of course, I want to be nominated for awards like this. It was really satisfying to be on that list.”

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

Greenwood is looking to get her hands on major honours in 2024, with City sat second in the WSL table – three points behind leaders Chelsea – while England are due to start the defence of their European Championship crown in April when qualification for the 2025 event gets underway.