Barca claim throne as Europe’s dominant women’s football force

For years Barcelona have looked up at Lyon, the established elite at the top of the women’s game, working intensely to surpass them. The Catalans finally avenged final defeats by Lyon in 2019 and 2022 on Saturday in Bilbao, beating the French giants 2-0 to lift the Champions League for the third time. They still trail Lyon’s all-time record of eight — that could take years to overhaul — but there is no doubt that Barcelona are the dominant force in Europe.

With back-to-back Champions League triumphs, three in four years, and five finals in the last six, the Catalans reign supreme.

Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas scored the goals against Lyon at the San Mames stadium. They pair are the owners of the last three Ballon d’Or wins between them but have a vast array of talent in support.

Their squad includes stars brought in from abroad like Lucy Bronze, formerly of Lyon, and Caroline Graham Hansen, but also significant home grown quality. Barcelona’s youth academy is creating potential stars in a way made possible by earlier investment in women’s football.