
Aitana Bonmati discharged from hospital after being treated for viral meningitis
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati has been discharged from hospital after being treated for viral meningitis.
With Euro 2025 scheduled to start on Wednesday, the 27-year-old Barcelona player will join her national team's training camp in the coming days.
Advertisement
World champions Spain begin their campaign on Thursday with a Group B fixture against Portugal in Bern.
Bonmati, who has won the Ballon d'Or for the past two years, was absent for her country's 3-1 friendly win over Japan on Friday.
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati, right, in action against England in February (Zac Goodwin/PA)
She posted a picture on Instagram of herself watching the match, which was played in the Spanish city of Leganes, from a hospital bed.
A statement from the Spanish football federation read: 'After several days in hospital with viral meningitis, Aitana Bonmati has been discharged from hospital and will join the Spanish national team's training camp in the coming days.'
Advertisement
Bonmati was a key member of the Spain squad which won the 2023 World Cup – following victory over England in the final – and the 2024 Nations League.
Speaking after the friendly against Japan, Spain head coach Montse Tome, whose side also face Belgium and Italy in the Euro 2025 group stage, said: 'She's an extremely important player for us and we will wait for her, no matter what, as long as we have to.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Metro
34 minutes ago
- Metro
Lionel Messi hands PSG star his whole kit and boots after Inter Miami mauling
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami team may have been hammered 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain at the Club World Cup, but he seemed in good spirits after the game. PSG booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament thanks to a comfortable victory in Atlanta. Joao Neves scored twice and Achraf Hakimi scored after Tomas Aviles had put through his own net. It was a dominant performance from the European champions and they will now face either Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the last eight. There was no joy at all for Messi against his former club but he was happy to catch up with former teammates after the game. It was actually a teammate from Barcelona that landed a special gift from the legendary forward, as Messi handed over his whole kit, including his boots, to Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman also posted a picture alongside Messi, which he captioned: 'Good to see you again @leomessi, the greatest of all time.. I hope you continue to make history with the @intermiamicf like in this World Club.' Dembele was obviously keen to add to his shirt collection on Sunday as he picked up a couple more former Barcelona stars as well. Not content with just Messi's, the 28-year-old also snapped up Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba's jerseys. Dembele spent six years with Barca after signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, although never really lived up to expectations after the Catalan giants agreed a deal for him which could have reached £135.5m. He made 185 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions, scoring 40 goals, with injuries hampering his progress during his time in Spain. Since leaving for PSG in 2023 things have gone much better for him, netting 33 goals in 49 appearances last season alone as Luis Enrique's side won Ligue 1 and the Champions League. PSG boss Enrique said after the victory on Sunday that the result did not reflect that it was a tough game for his side. 'It is difficult to play against players of this calibre, it was difficult, but I think as a team we did an excellent job,' he said. 'There's a visible difference between the first and second halves… their quality is evident, and I think we deserved the victory. More Trending 'It was harder than it may seem, after the first half.' He added: 'We are in the quarter-finals, with only eight teams remaining. Our goal is to progress as far as possible and to compete for the trophy. But for that, we need to overcome two more knock-out rounds. 'The season is very long, as it is for all teams, but the motivation to be competitive is there.' MORE: Enzo Maresca fumes after Chelsea suffer major injury blow at Club World Cup MORE: Benfica boss singles out 'very strong' Chelsea star for praise after Club World Cup defeat MORE: Benfica 1-4 Chelsea: Blues into Club World Cup quarter-final after match suspension


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Humbling of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami exposes flaw in Gianni Infantino's plan
Gianni Infantino took centre stage from Lionel Messi and his celebrating Inter Miami team-mates last October to make the surprise announcement that he had adjusted the Club World Cup qualification to accommodate the MLS franchise in its group stage. Eight months later, Messi and his fellow Barcelona veterans in pink shirts – Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba – found themselves on the end of four first-half goals from Europe's leading team, in a last-16 Club World Cup tie that was over almost as soon as it began. Beaten 4-0, Inter Miami are out, the last MLS representatives in this home Club World Cup and however far behind Paris St-Germain they might have been in Atlanta, they have served their purpose for Infantino. The Fifa president needed the star quality of Messi given that there was an absence of some of Europe's best supported teams in the competition, including the actual Barcelona, as well as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United. Although even Infantino would have struggled to find a reason to include the latter. A US tournament without Messi would have been a difficult sell to an American public that has shown itself occasionally indifferent to the big overseas clubs who have arrived to play in the height of summer. It was clear from Cristiano Ronaldo's remarks from Saudi Arabia that he, too, was dangled the opportunity of playing for a Club World Cup team but preferred to keep himself fresh for next summer's real World Cup. Infantino's willingness to turn it into an invitational demonstrated the requirement for big names. The problem with shoe-horning in Messi and Inter Miami, was that it was destined to show the US just how far its own club sides are behind those of Europe and South America. Asked how the gap might be closed, Miami coach Javier Mascherano, another Barcelona veteran, passed on the question. 'People involved in MLS know better than me what they have to do to progress in the league and be competitive,' he said. Miami did at least hold their own in the group stages with a win over Porto and draws with Palmeiras and Al-Ahly of Egypt. PSG are a very different prospect. Having racked up a record margin of victory for any Champions League final – or its European Cup predecessor – over Inter Milan this month, that was always going to be a risk. Mascherano called the first half 'a bloodbath'. There could have been many more in the second half, but PSG relented notably and Luis Enrique substituted some of his biggest names. Goalscorers Joao Neves and Achraf Hakimi came off as well as captain Marquinhos, midfielder Fabian Ruiz and star left-back Nuno Mendes. The pundits on DAZN, the streaming service that is providing free coverage in the US, did their best to talk up the efforts of Messi and his team-mates in the second half, but the frustration of Suarez told its own story. Infantino had used Miami's victory in the Supporters' Shield element of the MLS season to justify their inclusion – they finished top of the league table. Nevertheless, the champions of MLS are the MLS Cup winners and that was LA Galaxy, after Miami went out in the play-offs first round to Atlanta United. LA Galaxy did not compete at the Club World Cup but then neither did the champions of England, Spain or Italy. The mistakes from Miami that helped PSG race into a commanding lead in Atlanta showed that many MLS sides have to balance the European or South American stars in their sides with relative inexperience elsewhere. Poker-faced as ever, Messi did what he could. He had a promising free-kick towards the end of the game but after much dramatic anticipation it was struck into the defensive wall. He had a header saved in the second half and there was a fine flick into the path of Suarez which the latter mis-controlled. Messi will have to wait longer for his rest. Miami are scheduled to be in Canada on Saturday for a game against strugglers Montreal. His club are sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference but have now played as many as four fewer games as some sides in the division. As things stand the Miami regular season does not conclude until October 18. Come next summer, back in the US, Messi will lead Argentina in their defence of the World Cup – a competition which will figure much larger in his mind than the one from which he and his Miami team-mates have just been eliminated.


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
'Ballon d'Or' James makes England return before Euros
Europe, take note - Lauren James is back. Three months out but all it took was eight minutes for James, 23, to make an impact as she planted a pinpoint cross on the head of Alessia Russo as England went on to thrash Jamaica inside the King Power Stadium rose to their feet as the Chelsea attacker made her way on to the pitch, having been absent since she sustained a hamstring injury in April. And her return could not have come at a better time. With England six days away from taking on France in their opening Group D game at Euro 2025, Sarina Wiegman's "special player" is fit and raring to turning heads with three goals and three assists at the World Cup two years ago, the 23-year-old looks ready to play a pivotal role in England's pursuit of glory once competition for places in Wiegman's front line has never been higher as the Lionesses look to defend the European crown they dramatically won in 2021, but James may be the key. 'She's a little magician' - What James brings In 2021, James was a tricky winger who's talent was waiting to be unlocked, but now she is earning comparisons to one of the all-time England greats Kelly Lioness Karen Carney didn't hold back in her praise for James on ITV: "She can do things I've never seen any player since Kelly Smith do. She's Ballon d'Or." James' performance in the number 10 role will be giving Wiegman an almighty headache before Saturday's game against United's Ella Toone started the match in the role and bagged herself two goals, but James lit up the King Power Stadium with her ability to glide past players like they aren't there and pick out passes others didn't goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's hard not to get excited [about James]. I think she needs to be managed in the right way and giving her some time, a glimpse of what she can offer this Lionesses midfield and attack is really exciting. It's mouth-watering stuff."For me, she's a little magician in midfield. Her natural movement, the unpredictability and shooting ability that she has. She looks like she's going about her own business in the midfield."For me, it's the nonchalance. She picked up some great areas, gets on the ball, takes a shot and it just looks so easy for her." What impact could James have at the Euros? It was a huge boost for England having James back out on the pitch but is she ready for 90 minutes against France? Probably not with just half an hour of game time after three months Euros winner Wiegman knows patience is key with James: "Of course we're still building her. She has worked so hard to get to where she is right now - at Chelsea first and in the last two weeks with us. "She did every single training session and did really well. This was the first time she could get minutes and we hope to keep building her going into the France game."With just 32 of the 894 minutes she has played this term coming in the last three months, James is lacking match sharpness and may be utilised from the bench against France on 25, has nearly 1,000 more minutes than James this season and has always delivered in an England shirt - especially at the it may not be as simple as a battle between James and Toone for a starting XI spot, with the Chelsea forward's versatility meaning Wiegman can use her off either wing or even as a false nine. "We also know there's a lot of competition going on up front and also in midfield. We will figure that out," added it out and England may be on their way to back-to-back Euros wins. 'Pure class' - what the fans said England fans expressed their delight at the return of James as the Lionesses get ready to jet off to Switzerland. Rob, Sussex: Lauren James is on a whole different level five minutes on and she's sent in three world class balls, you have to pray she's fit for all the games, best in the Lauren James, pure So good to have both Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Georgia Stanway back from injury. Three huge plusses for our Euro chances.