The winner of our Women's Team of the Year award is Barcelona, reigning champions of the F League and Champions League, with 69.4% of the votes from our panel of experts.
An unforgettable 2024
The synonym for perfection is very hard to find in the world of football, but if you look up its meaning in the football dictionary you might find the name Barcelona. After a memorable 2023, the Blaugrana team had an unforgettable 2024, winning the Liga F, Spanish Super Cup, Queen's Cup and Champions League under the leadership of Jonathan Giraldez, who ended his time in Catalonia on a high note.
Barcelona became Spanish champions for the fifth time in a row, finishing the season unbeaten with 29 wins and one draw in 30 games. The only slip-up came against Levante following a 1-1 draw - a small blemish on an absolutely amazing run that left no doubt about the Blaugrana's dominance in Spain.
Fuelled by the strength of names like Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati, Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo, Barcelona have won everything there is to win in Spain. In the knockout competitions, the Blaugrana team beat Real Madrid 4-0 and Levante 7-0 in the Super Cup, and were perfect in the Queen's Cup.
Six wins in six games, 27 goals scored and just one conceded, with the icing on the cake being the thumping 8-0 victory in the final against Real Sociedad.
In addition to the clear domestic dominance, there was also room for another European triumph. Giraldez's team set out ahead of the 2023/24 season with the aim of regaining the Champions League title and they didn't disappoint their fans.
Barcelona picked up five wins and a draw in the group stage and knocked out Brann (quarter-finals) and Chelsea (semi-finals) before meeting Lyon - the side that beat them in the 2021/22 final. They gained their revenge and Barcelona lifted the most prestigious of trophies.
All told, there were 45 wins, two draws and just one defeat in 2023/24, with 211 goals scored and just 19 conceded.
Brand image around the world
In addition to the countless achievements on the pitch, Barcelona continued to be an example of equality and development for women in 2024, contributing to the visibility and promotion of gender rights in sport, not only in Spain, but around the world.
The Spanish team is one of the greatest inspirations for new generations, thanks to its identity and, above all, the winning mentality reflected in the collective and individual awards won over the last decade, a period in which it has managed to create total dominance in Spain and establish itself as one of the most exciting and passionate clubs on the planet.
A hopeful 2025
Barcelona lost one of their main pieces of the puzzle for the new season, but Giraldez's former assistant, Pere Romeu, was able to maintain the hunger for victories in a team full of stars, who strengthened their outfit with the signing of Pole Ewa Pajor, as well as one of the greatest talents of the new generation, Kika Nazareth.
The challenge for 2025 is just one: to win. And the team has responded well. With 19 wins and only one defeat (a 2-0 loss to Manchester City) this season, Barcelona's ambition remains intact.