Aitana Bonmati 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.
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.'
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
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.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
The assist that shows how important Lauren James is for England
England 7-0 Jamaica The Lionesses were already comfortable against a weakened Jamaica side when Lauren James made her long-awaited return from injury. England were leading 4-0 when the 23-year-old entered the pitch in the 63rd minute. Ella Toone, who was taken off for James, had scored twice and strengthened her case for a starting place in the Lionesses' opening game of Euro 2025 against France on Saturday. But then James reminded everyone why she is one of the best players in the world. With one touch she controlled Leah Williamson's pass, a second took the ball away from the defender and her third was an inch-perfect cross which was headed in by Alessia Russo at the back post. Alessia Russo makes it FIVE! 🤩 Lauren James providing the assist ✨ #ITVFootball | @Lionesses — ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 29, 2025 It was James's first appearance since picking up a hamstring injury in England's win over Belgium in April and there had been fears she may not recover in time for the defence of their European title. Now James is back and that can only be a good thing. But whether she will be fit enough to start the Lionesses' first game of the tournament in less than a week remains to be seen. 'We're still building her,' manager Sarina Wiegman said of James. 'She worked so hard to be where she is right now. The last two weeks we had training camps and she could do every single training session. This is the first time she could get minutes, we hope we can keep building her and then go again into France. We know there's a lot of competition going on. We will figure that out in the next couple of days.' It may be that the team that started this warm-up game is the one lining up against France on July 5. The No 10 role and the left-back spot were the two positions which appeared most up for grabs before this match. Jess Carter, who got the nod over Niamh Charles on the left side, strengthened her case with an impressive performance, which included an assist for Lucy Bronze's goal. Toone, who looked to be in competition for a starting berth with her Manchester United team-mate Grace Clinton more than James, also put in an excellent display with two first-half goals – her first in an England shirt since February 2024. If it is indeed James that Toone is competing with then her two goals were timely. Decisions, decisions... 🤔 Who makes your @Lionesses starting XI for the game against France on Saturday? #ITVFootball | #WEURO2025 — ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 29, 2025 Wiegman was non-committal when asked whether the No 10 is James's best position. 'We wanted to see her there,' the England manager said. 'We know that we have some players that can play in different positions, we also know that LJ has played a lot up front, on the sides, she can play there too. She can also play in the 10. That's what I wanted to see today and see how that worked. It was something we wanted to try out. I think it went really well.' For James and Toone to both play, it would likely see the former pushed out wide, which could put Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp at risk. Mead, who briefly caused panic when she went down holding her knee in the closing stages, scored England's seventh goal in stoppage time. Hemp, meanwhile, is yet to play a full 90 minutes since returning from a long-term knee injury in April. But she also has the ability to provide a spark. It's 7 (SEVEN)! 😲 Beth Mead with the icing on the cake #ITVFootball | @Lionesses — ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 29, 2025 The competition for places may give Wiegman a few headaches in the coming days but it is undoubtedly a good problem to have. Jamaica, who are 35 places below England in the Fifa rankings, were without many of their strongest players, including Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw and the experienced Drew Spence and Taylor Hinds. Yet they did have the ball in the net in the first half when they punished some sloppy England defending from a set-piece. But a VAR review showed Kiki Van Zanten was offside and was adjudged to have interfered with play when Kayla McKenna's deflected shot went underneath Hannah Hampton. While the goal was disallowed, it was a reminder that England have a tendency to switch off at the back. Still, on the whole it was a successful night for the Lionesses. Georgia Stanway, who was making her first start since January, also scored in the second half, as did substitute Aggie Beever-Jones. The Lionesses will undoubtedly face tougher tests than this at the Euros given they are in a group containing France, the Netherlands and Wales. As Wiegman said: 'We know next week we have to take our game to the next level.' England (4-3-3): Hampton 7; Bronze 7 (Charles 75), Williamson 7, Greenwood 7 (Morgan 63), Carter 8; Walsh 7 (Clinton 75), Stanway 8, Toone 8 (James 63); Mead 7, Russo 7 (Beever-Jones 75) , Hemp 7 (Kelly 63). Subs not used: Moorhouse, Keating, Le Tissier, Wubben-Moy, Park, Agyemang Goals: Toone 10, 45+4, Bronze 32, Stanway 59, Russo 71, Beever-Jones 85, Mead 90+6 Jamaica (4-4-2): Brooks 4; A Van Zanten 4, A Swaby 3 (Cardoza 45), C Swaby 4, Cameron 4, K Van Zanten 4 (Blades 63); Igleton 4 (Bailey 89), Primus 4 (Thomas 63), Simmonds 4 (Walker 89); Adamolekun 4 (Sampson HT), McKenna 4. Subs not used: Morgan, Mensah, Mitchell
