Cristian Martín is the founder of WOM Sports, a representation agency specializing in women’s football whose clients include Aitana Bonmatí.
With three Ballon d’Or awards and multiple The Best FIFA Football Awards, Aitana Bonmatí is one of the best players in the world. But beyond her success on the field, she is also one of the most commercially influential figures in women’s football, with a portfolio of major international brands and multimillion-dollar endorsement deals.
Behind her profile is WOM Sports, a representation agency founded by Cristian Martín when he was just 24 years old. With a background in sports journalism and marketing, Cristian decided to move into athlete representation, building his career in women’s football. In 2024, WOM Sports entered into a partnership with Gestifute, one of the most influential football player and coach representation agencies in the sports industry.
In this interview, Cristian discusses his academic and professional journey, shares the key lessons he has learned throughout his career, and offers advice for anyone looking to build a business in the sports industry.
How has your career evolved, from your early days to founding WOM Sports?
I started my career as a sports journalist. From that perspective, which kept me somewhat removed from the day-to-day reality of sports, I began to realize that I preferred being closer to the athletes themselves. At the time, I found a way to help them with their communications and public image. A few years later, I started doing the same for women’s football players.
Aitana Bonmatí was the first player we began working with. From then on, we started building a relationship based on trust and collaboration, with a focus on helping her strengthen her public image, shape her story, and gradually build the legacy she wanted to leave throughout her career.
“Over time, I was fortunate enough to become her agent. From that point on, I decided to focus on women’s football and player representation. We’ve now been in the industry for almost ten years and, naturally, we’ve experienced all kinds of situations, but every one of them has been a learning experience.”
Fortunately, women’s football is in a much better place today than it was when we started. I believe there’s still a long way to go, but both professionally and personally, the environment is much more positive, with far more opportunities than there were at the beginning.
How important has your academic background been to your professional career?
For me, education is a fundamental pillar of any profession, or at least most of them. I believe it gives you a foundation, context, and something else that’s very important: an understanding of what you like and what you don’t. Education also allows you to build human connections that, over time, can develop into professional relationships.
In my case, studying abroad was also valuable. It allowed me to learn languages, improve my English, experience other cultures, and get to know different countries. I believe all of that is beneficial. Specifically, my studies in journalism and marketing gave me knowledge that’s highly relevant to my work: how to build relationships with brands and journalists, and how to manage athletes’ brands through image and storytelling. Naturally, all of that has helped me.
I also think there are far more academic programs focused on sports management today than there were when I started my career.
“Back then, I had to find another way to learn the profession through learning by doing. I believe that was a good path, but if you have the opportunity to benefit from an academic foundation, you can make much better use of your abilities and develop the knowledge you need to navigate the situations the industry presents.”
What is the biggest challenge of working with an athlete of Aitana Bonmatí’s caliber?
I couldn’t sum it up in just one challenge. There are many. Every football player has a specific career plan and their own way of understanding the profession. Each athlete also has different priorities and abilities that influence the clubs they can play for and the level they can reach. But it’s also about continuing to progress and figuring out how far each person can go.
For me, the challenge, both personally and professionally, is always to give my best. As for the agency, I believe the most important thing is to provide the best possible service, always looking to support our clients, take care of them, and contribute in a constructive way. We need to keep their needs at the center of everything we do and think about how we can add value. We also try to provide constructive criticism that helps improve every small detail and move their careers forward proactively.
“WOM Sports aims to be involved in every stage of the process. Above all, we try to give athletes the tools and resources they need to maximize their careers, both on and off the field.”
From there, each person will face their own challenges and circumstances, which they must be able to navigate and resolve.
Fortunately, there are more opportunities than ever, whether at the club level or through media, brands, and other opportunities emerging across the broader sports ecosystem. Staying at the highest level is a daily challenge. This is an extremely competitive industry, and athletes generally have very high ambitions. You have to meet those expectations to provide the best possible service.
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your professional career?
For me, the most important thing was simply getting started. Taking that first step and starting a business can be intimidating. I remember deciding to establish a limited liability company and feeling a great deal of apprehension and uncertainty about whether it would be sustainable over time. Looking back, that’s what makes me proudest, because at that point, you have no guarantees about what will happen. You have expectations and believe you can do a good job, but, naturally, you’re taking a leap into the unknown. That’s what I’m most proud of, because I did it at 24, an age when you probably don’t yet have a clear idea of what your professional path will look like.
Since then, I’ve experienced many important moments. Naturally, seeing my first client build the career she’s building, become a force for social change, and practice her profession with values such as respect, teamwork, and inclusion makes me proud. It’s not just professional success, but personal success as well. Her achievements on the field have also led to countless awards, which make me incredibly proud because I feel part of that process and progress.
I’m also proud of how we’ve grown as a team. When we started, for example, we were working out of an apartment, in a room with a few papers and a whiteboard. Little by little, we took steps forward and eventually moved into an office. But I believe the most important milestone came two years ago, when Gestifute, led and owned by Jorge Mendes, whom I consider the greatest agent of all time, reached out to us and ultimately decided to acquire a minority stake in the agency. Being partners on this journey has been a source of great pride ever since.
“When you’re starting out, you look up to the leading figures in the industry. Jorge Mendes was someone who seemed far out of reach to me, a major leader in this profession. Having him as a partner is a source of pride.”
I’m also proud when I see that the players are happy and feel at ease, that they’re doing well and that their careers are progressing. I don’t think anything makes you prouder than hearing a player give feedback about how you’ve supported them, whether directly to you, to someone else at the agency, or to another teammate. We approach our work with a very high level of responsibility, knowing that we’re not just managing a career, but also someone’s dream and aspirations.
What advice would you give someone who wants to become a sports agent?
I’m not someone who gives a lot of advice, because I always think everyone has their own context, priorities, interests, and circumstances. But one thing that has worked for me is consistency: not just bringing energy and motivation when things are going well, but also when they’re not, and learning to handle all kinds of situations, whether they involve work, contracts, personal matters, or relationships.
“I believe consistency is essential in this industry, and it’s important not to focus exclusively on results.”
I believe you need to be resilient: get up every day and put in the hours. I don’t think there’s any profession in the world where you can succeed without investing a great deal of time. Consistency and a strong work ethic have always been central to how I work, and I try to carry those principles with me every day.
Passion is also essential. I believe passion drives everything. When you do something you love, you’re probably more willing to commit to everything that comes with the job, including operational and logistical demands, travel, and scheduling.
I always say that over the past ten years, I haven’t taken a full week of vacation or gone two days without my phone. I think these are small sacrifices. If you work in a field you’re passionate about, you’re much more willing to make them.
Finally, I believe it’s essential to be clear about your principles, values, and beliefs. You need to establish a solid foundation so that the agent and the athlete are aligned. Building that connection can sometimes take time, but I always try to make sure the agency’s values are reflected in our professional relationships.
I believe that alignment is reflected in the service we provide to our players and all our clients, because we also work with other stakeholders, including clubs, federations, brands, and media outlets. Being aligned allows us to build healthy relationships that can stand the test of time.
