Aitana Bonmatí was admitted to the hospital just before the start of the European Championship football tournament in Switzerland. The Spanish Golden Ball winner has meningitis. It is still unknown what her hospitalization means for her participation in the European Championship.
The 27-year-old Bonmatí shared a photo on her own social media on Friday evening showing her receiving an IV drip. At the same time, her teammates played the last practice match before the European Championship (3-1 against Japan).
After that practice match, Tomé said that Bonmatí has viral meningitis. That is the less serious variant of the disease, which usually does not require treatment.
“It is not yet clear how long she will be absent,” Tomé said. “Aitana is a very important player for us. We will wait for her as long as possible.”
Bonmatí won the Golden Ball in 2023 and 2024. She also led Spain to the World Cup win in 2023 and the Nations League victory last year. Both times, the team beat the Dutch national team along the way.
Spain starts the European Championship on July 3 against Portugal, followed by group matches with Belgium and Italy. The team has never reached the final of the European Championship.
