Overcoming meningitis to win the Golden Ball

Bonmati has won 3 consecutive Ballon d'Or. But this time, the Spanish star's journey to victory was much more difficult - as she also had to fight meningitis.

Bonmati shines at Euro 2025 - Photo: UEFA

Ahead of Euro 2025, the world of women's football witnessed a shock: Aitana Bonmati, the brightest star of the Spanish national team and Barcelona club, was urgently hospitalized due to viral meningitis.

Information published by The Guardian on June 27 confirmed that she had been taken to hospital and her “condition was under control” but still made the entire football world worry that Bonmati’s career was threatened.

Spain coach Montse Tome admitted: “Talking about meningitis is really scary, but the doctors say Aitana's condition is under control.”

Meningitis, even if viral, still carries the potential for serious neurological and physical effects.

For a top athlete, this disease not only causes them to miss major tournaments but can also leave behind consequences that affect their entire career.

The player himself admitted to Reuters: “I felt very healthy physically, then suddenly I was in the hospital. It was a scary experience, obviously at times I felt very vulnerable.”

Bonmati on the hospital bed - Photo: INSTAGRAM

Fortunately for Spanish women's football, Bonmati was discharged from hospital after a few days of treatment and began a recovery process closely monitored by the medical team.

Coach Tome said she was trained separately before joining her teammates, with the goal of not pushing her too hard too soon.

The 1998-born star returned to the field cautiously, initially only from the bench in the Euro 2025 group stage. However, her iron will helped her quickly regain her form.

“Three weeks ago I was in bed, a few days later I was playing at the Euros… and then playing the full 90 minutes. That’s something to be proud of. I think it says a lot about my level of commitment to the team,” Bonmatí said in an interview with ESPN after being named man of the match in the quarter-final win over Switzerland (July 19, 2025).

From hospital to “man of the match” in just a few weeks, the journey left Europe in awe.

Bonmatí’s resilience goes beyond just being on the field. She also has to learn to listen to her body, adjusting her training and competition rhythms to avoid a relapse.

Bonmati won the third Golden Ball of his career - Photo: REUTERS

“It was a step-by-step process after I got out of the hospital. It was hard to manage because it was not my normal routine, but I learned a lot,” she told ESPN.

Although Spain could not step up to the Euro 2025 championship (losing to England in the final), Bonmatí's performance was still a special highlight.

From a point where she was thought to have to leave the tournament, even risking a career interruption, she stood up and returned right when the team needed her most. That miraculous recovery is a testament to the professionalism, endurance and love for football of one of the world's biggest stars.

The pinnacle of this extraordinary effort came in the early morning of September 23, 2025. Bonmati was named the winner of the Women's Golden Ball for the third consecutive time. The football newspaper All for XI called her "a symbol of determination, perseverance and unwavering belief".

Viral meningitis is more common than bacterial meningitis. It is usually caused by viruses such as enterovirus, herpes virus or varicella virus.

In healthy people, the disease usually progresses mildly with symptoms such as fever, headache, stiff neck, fatigue and sensitivity to light. If detected and treated properly, the disease usually heals after 7 to 10 days without leaving any sequelae.

However, in some rare cases, especially in people with weak immune systems or if infected with a special virus such as Herpes, the disease can progress severely, causing seizures, neurological disorders, and even leaving sequelae such as memory loss, hearing loss, or chronic epilepsy.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vuot-can-benh-viem-mang-nao-de-doat-qua-bong-vang-20250923073239861.htm