(Reuters) -Midfielder Aitana Bonmati, Ballon d'Or winner for the last two years, has been hospitalised with viral meningitis less than a week before Spain begin their Women's Euro 2025 campaign, coach Montse Tome said.
The 27-year-old missed Friday's 3-1 win over Japan in a friendly as Spain continued building up to their first Group B match against Portugal on July 3.
Bonmati shared a picture of herself watching the match from a hospital bed in an Instagram story.
"The doctors say that it is controlled. Talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled," Tome told reporters after the win in Leganes.
"Aitana will be admitted and there are no deadlines yet to know for how long (she will be absent).”
Barcelona's Bonmati, who also won the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award for 2023 and 2024, has scored 30 goals for Spain in 78 appearances, playing a key role as they won the Women's World Cup in 2023 and the Women's Nations League last year.
"Aitana, for us, is a very important player. We'll wait for her as long as we can," Tome added.
Spain, who also have Belgium and Italy in their group, have never made it to the final of the continental championship, reaching the semi-finals only once in 1997.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)
