The nomination of the 30 finalists for the Ballon d'Or not only reminds us of who deserved to be there and was not included, but also tells us about those who failed to repeat their performance after

Aitana Bonmati has won a third of the six women’s Ballon d’Or awards, and three in a row is now on the cards. The 27-year-old midfielder has been the beating heart of Barcelona and the Spanish national team for years. She provides silk and steel, the control amid the chaos.