There are 30 players nominated for the 2026 Women's Ballon d'Or, but the three-time defending winner is not among them.
Aitana Bonmatí did not make the shortlist for the 2026 prize after a difficult year filled with injury issues.
The 28-year-old Barcelona and Spain midfielder won the Ballon d'Or Féminin in 2023, 2024 and 2025, establishing herself as the best player in the game.
Bonmatí is known as an elegant and technical operator in the center of the pitch, blending an eye for a pass with an ability to score goals. Pep Guardiola has called her the "women's Iniesta."
But the past year has been full of challenges for Bonmatí, starting with a fractured left fibula suffered in November 2025 while in training with Spain.
She underwent surgery in December
and Barcelona said that the estimated recovery time would be five months.
Bonmatí managed to return in May, making seven appearances for Barcelona before the end of the 2025-26 season. But the pain from the injury did not go away, forcing Bonmatí to step away prior to the start of the 2026-27 season.
"In terms of all the tests and scans, everything is perfect, but there are some things which are uncontrollable, like the pain, right? It limits you," she told ESPN in September.
"I was tired of living with the pain, not just playing and training, but in my daily life. So I took the decision with the club to follow an individual plan at the start of this season to return as soon as possible, above all, without pain.
"I don't know if I will be back 100% clear of pain, I don't know if it's possible, but that's what we're working towards."
Bonmatí returned to the pitch for Barcelona in late September. She's made four total appearances this season, including two starts.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why isn't Aitana Bonmatí nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
