Five years into his managerial career, many believe Jonatan Giráldez is already among the greatest soccer managers of all time, given the trophies that he’s won with players like Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí during his time at Barcelona Femení. Now as the head coach of the Washington Spirit, he has another world-class talent in Trinity Rodman. The Spanish coach hopes one day his current and former teams will face each other on the pitch. 

That dream of his is likely to become a reality sooner rather than later. The 2026 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, the inaugural edition of the tournament, could serve as the perfect battlefield for both sides, with 16 teams from six confederations set to compete. But, there’s no information on the qualification pathway for the teams as of now. 

Having recently led the Spirits to the NWSL final, Giráldez opens up about his experience coaching in a new country and starwoman Trinity Rodman. “She has the ability to accelerate when she’s sprinting, that is, change her pace in full flight. She’s a high-profile player and often used to sell the NWSL” says Giraldez in an interview with AS USA. 

When asked if he would like to face his former club, Giráldez sounded enthusiastic about the possibility. “Well, of course, that would imply that we would have to win here and that Barça would have won, therefore, I would be doubly happy.” says the Spanish coach. Imagine the crowds that would gather to see Bonmatí and Rodman share the same pitch. 

And why wouldn’t he be happy? After all, Giráldez led Barcelona to a domestic treble in 2021/22, a treble including the Champions League in 2022/23, and a continental quadruple in 2023/24. Having won 10 of 12 possible trophies in Spain, the coach will be hoping to recreate some of that success now that he’s across the Atlantic. 

Giráldez deems Trinity Rodman and Co. superior despite losing the final

If we put aside the scoreline of the NWSL final, the Spirits were superior in shots on goal, chances created, possession, and completed passes. “For me, we were better in the final. Obviously, it’s no consolation, but in terms of the number of chances, the game plan… the way the game went, we deserved the victory,” says Giráldez. 

Despite the setback, Giráldez helped Trinity Rodman and her teammates finish as the second-best team, narrowly missing out on the NWSL Shield by 4 points. Looking ahead to next season, their ‘spirits’ will be high, as the Spanish coach’s side is the favorite to win the league. 

If the Spirits were to win, Trinity’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or would increase, and with favorable draws, we could see multiple Ballon d’Or winners sharing the pitch in the Club World Cup. Only time will tell if Giráldez will be reunited with his former superstars.