Spain’s hopes of defending their Women’s Nations League crown took a hit Sunday as midfield star Aitana Bonmati suffered a left fibula fracture during training, ruling her out of Tuesday’s decisive second leg against Germany at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation confirmed the injury following tests and said Bonmati will return to Barcelona to begin her recovery.
The 27-year-old, who recently became the first player to win the Women’s Ballon d’Or three times and helped Barcelona secure a domestic treble, had featured in Friday’s goalless first leg in Kaiserslautern.
Even with Bonmati on the pitch, Spain struggled to break down a resilient German side, relying on goalkeeper Cata Coll to keep a clean sheet. Marca quipped that Coll’s heroics could see her "banned from entering Germany” in the future.
"We knew it would be complicated here,” Coll said. "We competed well and when we had to suffer, we did it together.”
Spain now heads home with the advantage of a 70,000-seat stadium and a record crowd – around 50,000 tickets sold – ready to spur them on.
Fellow Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas believes the atmosphere will be crucial. "We want the Germans to feel the atmosphere at the Metropolitano,” she said, while Laia Aleixandri added, "I get goosebumps because we are going to be with the whole family and all the people who will come to support us.”
Coach Sonia Bermudez, who replaced Montse Tome after Spain finished runners-up to England at Euro 2025, acknowledged the team must adjust to defend their title.
"We didn’t play our best match and there are things to adjust,” she said, calling for greater incisiveness and sharper attacking play in Madrid.
The first leg offered a stark reminder that even a dominant Spanish side must work hard to maintain supremacy.
Despite controlling 56% of possession, Spain were stifled by Germany’s close marking and high press.
Their semifinal sweep of Sweden, 5-0 on aggregate, now seems a distant memory, highlighting the challenges that lie ahead for Spain’s golden generation as they chase another international trophy.