Spain’s Aitana Bonmati won the Best Player of the Tournament award at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. The two-time Ballon d’Or winner led Spain to their first European Championship final despite suffering from viral meningitis.
Spain loses in Basel final
The 27-year-old midfielder contracted meningitis a few days before the tournament began. She had to be hospitalized and could not exercise for 4-5 days.
This forced her to sit on the bench for Spain’s first two group matches. Still, she played as a replacement in those matches and played a key role in the team’s victory in the knockout stage.
Impressive stats despite defeat
In the entire tournament, Bonmati played 474 minutes, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist. Her passing accuracy was 84.5%.
The most important contribution was against Germany in the semi-finals, where she scored in extra time to take Spain to the final.
Heartbreak in penalty shootout
In Sunday’s final against England, Spain first took the lead through Mariona Caldentey’s header. But England equalized through Alessia Russo’s goal.
The match went to a penalty shootout, where Bonmati’s penalty was stopped by England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
Bonmati’s statement after the defeat
After the defeat, Bonmati told RTVE, “I am in shock. We gave everything. I must apologize for missing my penalty and congratulate England.”
Received personal award despite disappointment
The Barcelona player was named the best player of the tournament by UEFA’s Technical Observer Group. Earlier, this award was given to Beth Mead (2022), Lieke Martens (2017), and Nadine Angerer (2013).
But personal honors were no consolation for Bonmatí. She compared the loss to Barcelona’s Champions League final loss to Arsenal.
Looking forward after a historic journey
Despite the penalty shootout loss, Bonmatí’s performance showed her leadership abilities. She said she brings “competition, demand, knowledge, and experience” to the team.
Reaching the final was a huge step up for Spain. Bonmatí said they are a “very experienced team” and have a “very ambitious mentality.”
They failed to win a European title after winning the 2023 World Cup, but the tournament showed Spain’s strength in women’s football.