Aitana Bonmatí

UNHCR activity

At the end of 2023, Aitana supported the Global Refugee Forum. Held every four years in Geneva, the Forum is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees. In support of the Sports Pledge at the event, Aitana delivered a virtual message to stakeholders and decision-makers, saying: ‘I want to continue to raise my voice and advocate for refugees, creating a better world through sports. The Global Refugee Forum is where all this work starts. The pledges made there, will shape the future of refugees everywhere.’

Aitana’s attire following FC Barcelona’s 2023 Champions League final speaks to the player’s dedication to the refugee cause. As she celebrated winning the Champions League, Aitana wore a t-shirt which read “Change your mind. Welcome Refugees. Save their lives”. Aitana shared photos of her wearing this t-shirt on social media.

Aitana’s media initiatives around the 2023 World Cup highlight her genuine commitment to UNHCR. The football sensation seized every opportunity to use this moment as a way of advocating for displaced people everywhere. 

In the lead-up, Aitana shared with The Players Tribune: “Many people are forced to flee their homes without wanting to, because of the war, and they arrive in places like Spain or Italy, without money, without friends, without knowing the language. Many have lost their wives, children, husbands. Honestly, it breaks my heart … tragedies like this make me more aware of how privileged I am”.

In April 2023, Aitana joined Venezuelan singer and fellow UNHCR supporter Danny Ocean for an initiative to illustrate the power of sport for refugee children. Young refugees from Honduras and Ukraine had the opportunity to attend their first-ever match at the Spotify Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona and speak with Aitana and Danny before the match. 

Aitana also took the opportunity to talk about refugees and her support for UNHCR in June 2022 when she participated in a major Spanish talk show called “La Resistencia”, with more than 5 million viewers. She brought a football, designed by a young refugee as part of UNHCR’s Youth with Refugees Art Contest, as a gift for the presenter.

To mark the International Day of the Girl in October 2022, Aitana visited A.E. Ramassá, an inclusive women’s football team, with UNHCR and the FC Barcelona Foundation. Here she trained with women refugees and asylum seekers, sharing with them a message of encouragement and perseverance.

For these women, football reinforces their feeling of community and belonging – a feeling recognized by Aitana: “I know that all of you have had difficult paths. We are women and we have many adversities along the way, but we deserve the same rights and to lead the world”.