BREAKING: 2025 Ballon d'Or Winner Suffers Broken Leg

The 2025 Women's Ballon d'Or recipient, Aitana Bonmatí, has suffered a fibula fracture resulting in a long-term absence, causing major damage to Barcelona and her national squad.

Spain's women's team will face the UEFA Nations League final second leg against Germany in the early hours of December 3 without their key star. In last week's first leg in Germany, the match ended goalless, and La Roja’s quest for the title becomes much tougher without Bonmatí anchoring the midfield.

Spain missed out on a major title in 2025 after losing to England in a penalty shootout at the Euro this past summer, and they are determined to lift the Nations League trophy at the Metropolitano in Madrid.

However, victory in the Spanish capital is far from guaranteed, as Germany has consistently shown resilience against La Roja. During the European Championship, Germany defended staunchly to push the semifinal into extra time but ultimately couldn’t stop Spain and Bonmatí, who broke through Ann-Katrin Berger’s resistance to send La Roja into the final.

The scars of that defeat still linger for Germany, who will surely be eager to avenge that late heartbreak, and Bonmatí’s absence will serve as motivation for them.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) released a statement confirming the worst news for Barcelona fans and La Roja. They reported that the midfielder “ended the morning training session at Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas in pain following a faulty landing during an accidental collision.”

The statement further noted that Bonmatí underwent imaging scans to diagnose the source of her pain. After medical examinations on November 30, Bonmatí was diagnosed with a fracture of the left fibula.

The RFEF added: “The player, born in Ribas, will return to Barcelona to rejoin her club and start the recovery process.”

According to Mundo Deportivo, initial assessments indicate Bonmatí will be sidelined for at least two months. If surgery is unnecessary and the bone can heal naturally, she is expected to miss about eight weeks. This means Bonmatí could miss several crucial matches for both club and country, including the final group stage fixtures of the Champions League.

Should surgery be required to address the fracture, her recovery time could extend up to four months, which would be an even greater setback for Barcelona.

Bonmatí now joins Barcelona’s injury list alongside Patri Guijarro, who is also out due to a fracture. Patri is suffering from a scaphoid bone fracture in her right foot.

If surgery is necessary, Bonmatí will be racing against time to be ready for key matches in the spring. The Champions League quarterfinals are scheduled for late March, and Barcelona will do everything possible to have her back in top form before this critical test.

Barcelona and Bonmatí still hold hope to rectify last year’s Champions League final loss. The Blaugrana were outplayed by Arsenal and punished by a late goal from Stina Blackstenius. The 1-0 victory gave Arsenal their second historic title, after their first in 2006.

This season in the Champions League, Barcelona has made positive progress, leading their group with three wins and one draw after four matches. The Catalan club is not too disappointed by their only slip-up, a controversial 1-1 draw at the English champions Chelsea.

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