1. Overview
Barbara Bonansea (born 13 June 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward or midfielder for Serie A club Juventus FC and the Italy women's national team. Regarded as one of the most prominent Italian female footballers of her generation, Bonansea has achieved significant success at both club and international levels, marked by numerous Serie A titles, Coppa Italia victories, and Supercoppa Italiana championships with clubs such as ACF Brescia and Juventus. She has also been a key player for the Italian national team, representing her country in major tournaments including the FIFA Women's World Cup and UEFA Women's Euro. Her career is characterized by her technical skill, pace, and ability to score remarkable goals, earning her individual accolades such as the Serie A Female Footballer of the Year and selection to the FIFA FIFPro Women's World11.
2. Early life and background
Barbara Bonansea was born on 13 June 1991 in Pinerolo, Piedmont, Italy. She began her football journey by joining the youth system of Torino in 2004. During her time with Torino's youth team, she achieved notable success, winning the Campionato Primavera title for two consecutive seasons, in 2005-06 and 2006-07. These early achievements highlighted her potential and laid the groundwork for her professional career.
3. Club career
Barbara Bonansea's club career has been marked by significant contributions to three major Italian clubs, progressing from her debut at Torino to achieving multiple domestic titles with Brescia and Juventus.
3.1. ACF Torino
Bonansea was promoted to the senior team of Torino in 2006, making her debut in Serie A on 15 September 2007, during the opening match of the 2007-08 season against Atalanta. Her first Serie A goal was recorded on 22 November 2008, in a match against Tavagnacco. She played more than 100 games for Torino, accumulating a total of 108 appearances and scoring 27 goals before her departure in 2012.
3.2. ACF Brescia
In the summer of 2012, Bonansea transferred to ACF Brescia, where she quickly established herself as a pivotal player. In her inaugural season, she scored 22 goals in the league, tying for fourth in the scoring ranks, and contributed to the club achieving its then-highest league finish of third place. The following season, 2013-14, marked a historic moment as she helped Brescia secure their first-ever Serie A title, which was also her first league championship. By the time she left the club in 2017, Bonansea had played in 117 matches, scoring 61 goals, and helped Brescia win two Serie A titles (2013-14, 2015-16), two domestic cups (2014-15, 2015-16), and three Italian Super Cups (2014, 2015, 2016). Her outstanding performances were recognized in 2016 when she was named the Serie A Female Footballer of the Year at the Gran Galà del Calcio.
3.3. Juventus FC
Bonansea joined the newly formed Juventus FC Women in the summer of 2017 on a free transfer, becoming a foundational player for the club. On 30 September 2017, she scored two goals in her debut match against Atalanta, including Juventus's first-ever goal in Serie A, contributing to a 3-0 victory. She finished her first season as the second-highest scorer with 19 goals, helping Juventus claim their first Serie A title. In the 2018-19 season, she was instrumental in Juventus securing the domestic double, winning both the league title and the domestic cup. During the same season, she also scored two goals against Brøndby IF in the first round of the UEFA Women's Champions League, marking Juventus's inaugural goals in the competition. Bonansea continued to be a crucial part of Juventus's dominance, contributing to five consecutive Serie A titles from 2017-18 to 2021-22. As of 30 June 2023, she had made 103 appearances for Juventus, scoring 57 goals. Her exceptional contributions during her tenure with Juventus led to her being the first Italian female footballer to be selected for the FIFA FIFPro Women's World11 for two consecutive years, in 2020 and 2021.
4. International career
Barbara Bonansea has had a distinguished international career, representing Italy at both youth and senior levels, participating in major tournaments and achieving notable milestones.
4.1. Youth national team
From 2007 to 2011, Bonansea was a key player for the Italy women's U-19 national football team, making 15 appearances and scoring 7 goals. She played a significant role in Italy's triumph at the 2008 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship held in France. She also contributed to Italy's advancement to the semi-finals of the 2011 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, which was hosted in Italy.
4.2. Senior national team
Bonansea made her debut for the Italy senior national team on 19 September 2012, in a Euro 2013 qualifier against Greece in Athens, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Despite her debut, she was not included in the final squad for the UEFA Women's Euro 2013.
During Italy's 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying campaign, she made six appearances and scored seven goals, which included a hat-trick in a decisive 15-0 home victory over Macedonia. In November 2015, she was called up by manager Antonio Cabrini for a double friendly match against the Chinese national team, participating in games held in Guiyang on 3 December and Qujing on 6 December. The following year, in November 2016, she was part of the Italian squad for the 2016 International Women's Football Tournament of Manaus in Brazil, held from 7 to 18 December.
Bonansea was also selected for the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in the Netherlands, where Italy was eliminated in the group stage with a record of one win and two losses. Her impact became particularly evident during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. In Italy's opening group stage match against Australia, she scored two crucial goals, leading to a 2-1 comeback victory. This performance helped Italy top their group and advance to the knockout stages, where they defeated China in the round of 16, ultimately reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since the 1991 World Cup. As of 10 July 2023, she had earned 91 caps for the national team, scoring 30 goals. On 23 February 2024, Bonansea achieved her 100th appearance for Italy in a 0-0 draw against the Republic of Ireland.
4.3. International goals
Bonansea has scored the following goals for the Italy women's national football team:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 13 March 2013 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | South Korea | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 2. | 20 September 2013 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | Estonia | 5-0 | 5-1 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 13 February 2014 | Stadio Silvio Piola, Italy | Czech Republic | 4-1 | 6-1 | |
| 4. | 8 May 2014 | Petar Miloševski Training Centre, Skopje, North Macedonia | North Macedonia | 8-0 | 11-0 | |
| 5. | 13 September 2014 | Stadio Silvio Piola, Vercelli, Italy | Estonia | 1-0 | 4-0 | |
| 6. | 17 September 2014 | North Macedonia | 10-0 | 15-0 | ||
| 7. | 13-0 | |||||
| 8. | 15-0 | |||||
| 9. | 4 March 2015 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | South Korea | 1-0 | 2-1 | 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 10. | 9 March 2016 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | Czech Republic | 2-1 | 3-1 | 2016 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 11. | 7 June 2016 | Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, Gori, Georgia | Georgia | 2-0 | 7-0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying |
| 12. | 4-0 | |||||
| 13. | 18 December 2016 | Arena da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil | Brazil | 3-4 | 3-5 | 2016 International Women's Football Tournament of Manaus |
| 14. | 8 March 2017 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | Czech Republic | 4-1 | 6-2 | 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 15. | 15 September 2017 | Stadio Alberto Picco, La Spezia, Italy | Moldova | 2-0 | 5-0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 16. | 24 October 2017 | Stadio Teofilo Patini, Castel di Sangro, Italy | Romania | 3-0 | 3-0 | |
| 17. | 28 February 2018 | Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | Switzerland | 1-0 | 3-0 | 2018 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 18. | 8 June 2018 | Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy | Portugal | 3-0 | 3-0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 19. | 27 February 2019 | Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus | Mexico | 2-0 | 5-0 | 2019 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 20. | 4 March 2019 | AEK Arena, Larnaca, Cyprus | Thailand | 1-0 | 4-1 | |
| 21. | 9 June 2019 | Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes, France | Australia | 1-0 | 2-1 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| 22. | 2-1 | |||||
| 23. | 7 March 2020 | Vista Municipal Stadium, Parchal, Portugal | New Zealand | 2-0 | 3-0 | 2020 Algarve Cup |
| 24. | 24 February 2021 | Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy | Israel | 2-0 | 12-0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 25. | 11-0 | |||||
| 26. | 26 November 2021 | Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy | Switzerland | 1-0 | 1-2 | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 27. | 30 November 2021 | Stadionul Anghel Iordănescu, Voluntari, Romania | Romania | 1-0 | 5-0 | |
| 28. | 16 February 2022 | Estádio Municipal de Lagos, Lagos, Portugal | Denmark | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2022 Algarve Cup |
5. Style of play
FIFA has lauded Bonansea as a "pacey and snake-hipped" player who is "able to balletically slalom past opponents on grass like Alberto Tomba did poles," drawing comparisons to football legends like Paulo Futre and Ryan Giggs during their prime. She is particularly renowned for scoring spectacular goals, including knuckleball free-kicks popularized by players such as Juninho Pernambucano. Her technical prowess and flair on the field make her a dynamic presence, capable of creating scoring opportunities and dazzling spectators with her dribbling ability.
6. Personal life
Beyond her football career, Barbara Bonansea holds an economics degree. She stands at 69 in (174 cm) tall. She has expressed a desire to play professional football outside of Italy at some point in her career. In her free time, Bonansea enjoys reading books by author Dan Brown, watching romance and thriller films, and learning to play the guitar.
7. Honours
Barbara Bonansea has earned numerous accolades and titles throughout her illustrious career at both club and individual levels.
7.1. Club honours
ACF Brescia
- Serie A: 2013-14, 2015-16
- Coppa Italia: 2014-15, 2015-16
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014, 2015, 2016
Juventus FC
- Serie A: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22
- Coppa Italia: 2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2021-22
7.2. Individual honours
- AIC Serie A Female Footballer of the Year: 2016
- AIC Best Women's XI: 2019
- FIFA FIFPro Women's World11: 2020, 2021
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2021
- Serie A Goal of the Year: 2021