Ramona Bachmann

She has wanted to be a professional footballer since she was little and always had a ball at her feet from the moment she could walk.

She grew up in Malters, a small town in Switzerland, where her father, a skilled footballer, inspired her with his juggling skills.

One summer, her father challenged her to juggle a ball 100 times by the end of vacation, promising 100 francs as a reward. She completed it in just three days.

She moved to Sweden at just 16 to play for Umeå IK where she played alongside Marta, turning down offers from Germany and the U.S.

She started her professional career at just 16 years old, which was rare at the time due to the lack of professional women’s teams and she feels she was quite lucky to be able to do it.

She made her senior debut for Switzerland at just 16 years old, playing against Sweden.

She won the Women’s FA Cup with Chelsea in 2018, scoring twice in the final against Arsenal and earning Player of the Match.

She publicly came out as lesbian during the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

She was in a relationship with fellow Swiss footballer Alisha Lehmann before later announcing her engagement to Charlotte, a French dance professor, in 2023.

She and her partner Charlotte are expecting a baby in April 2025.

She suffered from persistent back pain early in her career, which affected her availability for key matches.

She has played in five different countries: Switzerland, Sweden, the U.S., Germany, and France, before moving to Houston in 2024.

Growing up, she only had male football idols, but now she enjoys being a role model for young girls and boys.

At 12 or 13, she joined a special football training center for top talents in Switzerland, which made her realize she had the potential for a professional career.

Her first football idol were the Brazilian Ronaldo and Totti, later followed by Lionel Messi.

In her first international match for Switzerland, she was so overexcited that she received a red card within the first few minutes.

If she hadn’t become a professional footballer, she would have pursued something with languages or another sports-related career, but she never had a backup plan.

After retiring, she wants to stay involved in football, possibly in coaching, TV punditry, or expanding her football camp across Europe.

She used to ski a lot but stopped to not risk any injuries.

She likes to watch and play tennis and is a fan of Federer.

She has a personal pre-match ritual—she always prays before and after games. She does it privately, reflecting on her gratitude for having the opportunity to play. She acknowledges her talent but emphasizes the hard work behind it.

She enjoys podcasts and has recently been listening to one by her ex-teammates Andrine Hegerberg and Josephine Henning.

She owns a Louis Vuitton travel bag and used to call it her “Louis.” When she got a dog, her friends joked that she should name him Louis, which she found perfect—so now she has a new “Louis.”

Dream Team for a 5-a-side Match: For a fun and competitive 5-a-side match, she would pick Marta (forward), Sandra Betschart (defender), Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir (midfielder), and Julia Šimić (midfielder).

Music is an essential part of her match preparation. She listens to house music before a game to get pumped up and calmer music afterward.

She has attended concerts by big artists like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, and Bon Jovi, even getting VIP tickets for the Bon Jovi show in Atlanta, thanks to her teammate Shelley Thompson. If given the chance, Ramona would love to see Ed Sheeran perform live.