Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati earned a nomination for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award, marking her third consecutive nomination for the prestigious honor.
Bonmati won the Laureus award in 2024 before losing to US gymnast Simone Biles in 2025. The midfielder now competes for the 2026 prize following another stellar year with the Spanish club.
The three-time Ballon d'Or winner helped Barcelona dominate Spanish women's football in 2025, capturing the Liga F title, Copa de la Reina trophy, and Spanish Super Cup. Barca additionally reached the 2024/25 Champions League final.
Bonmati faces strong competition for this year's award, going up against US sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, US hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, Kenyan runner Faith Kipyegon, and US swimmer Katie Ledecky.
The Laureus ceremony is set for Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid on April 20th, with Bonmati hoping to reclaim the award she won two years ago.
The Spanish titan's 2025 success centered around the midfield, as the captain controlled games throughout the season while collecting individual accolades. Her performances routinely earned widespread recognition beyond Spain.
The Laureus award recognizes exceptional athletic achievement across all sports. Bonmati's nomination highlights the Catalan club's continued global impact in women's football, as she stands among elite athletes worldwide competing for this distinction.
The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League set its quarterfinal matchups this week, after this month's two-leg Round of 16 ties yielded a competitive field full of familiar foes.
Reigning UWCL champion Arsenal advanced via a 7-1 aggregate drubbing of Belgium side OH Leuven on Wednesday, with the Gunners joined in the winners column by fellow WSL titan Manchester United, who ousted Atlético de Madrid on a 5-0 aggregate, and Spain's Real Madrid, who outlasted Paris FC 5-2 across their two matches.
After lodging a 2-2 first-leg draw with Juventus last week, Frauen-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg also booked a spot in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over the Italian side on Thursday.
This week's victors will now join the four already-qualified challengers in next month's quarterfinals — with two heated rivalries taking center stage.
Arsenal will face reigning six-time WSL champion Chelsea FC for the first time in the Champions League knockouts, while Real Madrid takes on fellow Liga F powerhouse Barcelona in an El Clásico rematch.
As for Manchester United, the Red Devils will face Germany's Bayern Munich, while Wolfsburg has drawn perennial French champion OL Lyonnes.
How to watch the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals
UWCL action will return with the first matches of the two-leg quarterfinal round on Tuesday, March 24th.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.
Spanish midfielder and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí is officially eyeing a return to the pitch.
Following a lengthy rehabilitation process for a broken leg suffered last year, the Barcelona superstar is signaling that her comeback will be defined by even better form.
Bonmatí has spent the early part of 2026 focusing on a recovery program designed to not only restore her fitness but also to enhance her durability. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner emphasized that the time away from competition allowed her space to reflect and rebuild, something she intends to use to her advantage as she rejoins both Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
"The goal wasn't just to heal the bone," Bonmatí told reporters from the International Sports Press Association on Monday.
"It was to come back better than I was before the injury. I've worked on aspects of my game and my physicality that you often don't have time for when you are playing every three days."
Bonmatí’s absence has significantly impacted Barcelona, where she's long served as the primary engine in the midfield. While the club has maintained its league dominance, her tactical intelligence and transitional play are vital for their upcoming campaigns.
The 28-year-old's return is equally meaningful for Spain, as the team heads down the road to the 2027 World Cup.
Medical staff have remained cautious with her timeline, prioritizing long-term health over an accelerated return. However, with Bonmatí now participating in full-contact training sessions, a full re-entry appears sooner rather than later.
For the rest of the footballing world, a "better than ever" Bonmatí is a daunting prospect. Should she successfully translate training into award-winning performances on the pitch, the gap between her and the rest of the field may only widen.
In the meantime, Barcelona is once again through to the Spanish Women Super Cup. This Saturday they'll face rivals Real Madrid in an all-new El Clásico, this time with a Super Cup title on the line.
How to watch Barcelona FC vs. Real Madrid in the Women's Super Cup Final
Barcelona kicks off against Real Madrid on Saturday, January 24th at 1 PM ET, live on DAZN.
With the 18-team UWCL league phase now done and dusted, the 12 clubs still standing discovered their paths to the Final in the 2025/26 Champions League knockouts draw on Thursday.
While the top four clubs — No. 1 Barcelona, No. 2 OL Lyonnes, No. 3 Chelsea FC, and No. 4 Bayern Munich — punched their way into March's quarterfinals behind elite league-phase performances, the remaining eight teams must battle in February's playoffs in order to advance.
Thursday's draw has reigning champs No. 5 Arsenal facing Belgian side No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the playoffs, but the Gunners then face a difficult road in the UWCL knockouts, staring down a potential quarterfinal clash with WSL rivals Chelsea as eight-time UWCL winners OL Lyonnes looms on the same side of the semifinal bracket.
Elsewhere, No. 7 Real Madrid have an opportunity to make UWCL history should they win their playoff tie against No. 10 Paris FC, setting up the tournament's first-ever El Clásico with a possible quarterfinal match against perennial winners Barcelona.
How to watch the 2025/26 Champions League Playoffs
The first-leg of the 2025/26 UWCL playoffs kick off with No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven hosting No. 5 Arsenal at 12:45 PM ET on February 11th, with No. 7 Real Madrid visiting No. 10 Paris FC at 3 PM ET.
The following day, No. 8 Juventus will take on hosts No. 9 Wolfsburg at 12:45 PM ET before No. 11
Atlético de Madrid faces the visiting No. 6 Manchester United at 3 PM ET.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.
The business of women's sports is booming, as Forbes confirmed this week in their Most Valuable Women's Sports Teams of 2025 rankings.
The publication reported that 25 women's sports organizations now boast valuations in the nine figures, with an estimated collective worth of $5.6 billion.
The WNBA's New York Liberty tops the list with an estimated value of $400 million, with women's basketball producing the inaugural rankings' five most valuable teams as the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces, and Phoenix Mercury also punched at or above the $300 million mark.
Notably, all 12 long-established WNBA teams feature in the Top 25, with only 2025 expansion side Golden State still building into the top echelon of women's sports valuations — though the Valkyries seem a likely future addition to the list considering their record-breaking debut season.
Soccer standouts comprised the other 13 Most Valuable Women's Sports Teams of 2025, with eight NWSL franchises and five European football clubs scoring spots on the Forbes list.
No. 6 Angel City FC and No. 7 Kansas City Current lead the NWSL at $280 million and $275 million, respectively, while No. 8 Arsenal just edged Liga F side No. 7 Barcelona and fellow WSL club No. 8 Chelsea FC to top Europe's contingent with a valuation of $260 million.
Purpose-built arena and training facilities ultimately gave US teams a valuation edge, as many European clubs remain financially tied to their men's counterparts.
All in all, women's sports valuations reflect potential as much as they do current reality, as investors cash in on one of the sector's fastest-growing markets.
The UWCL's first-ever league phase wraps on Wednesday, when all 18 2025/26 Champions League clubs will square off in a simultaneous afternoon kick-off finale.
Top finishers No. 1 Barcelona and No. 2 OL Lyonnes already secured automatic spots in the quarterfinals, with similarly unbeaten No. 3 Chelsea looking to claim their spot with a result on Wednesday.
The fourth guaranteed pathway will be tougher fight, however, as just three points separate No. 4 Juventus and No. 11 Atletico Madrid on the Champions League table.
While the top four teams will advance directly into the March quarterfinals, clubs finishing fifth through 12th will instead move on to the European competition's first-ever knockout playoffs in February to determine the final quartet of quarterfinalists.
No. 4 Bayern Munich, No. 5 Real Madrid, No. 6 Juventus, No. 7 Wolfsburg, No. 8 Arsenal, No. 9 Manchester United, and No. 10 Paris FC have all netted enough points to at least make the playoffs, leave three teams — Atlético de Madrid, No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven, and No. 13 Vålerenga — battling the final two spots.
Amid Wednesday's high-stakes matchups, Wolfsburg will look to break into the upper ranks against Chelsea, Juventus will try to hold off Manchester United, and 2024/25 champs Arsenal will shoot for a result against Oud-Heverlee Leuven.
How to watch Wednesday's 2025/26 Champions League action
Wednesday's final UWCL league-phase matches will be cutthroat battles for tournament seeding.
The action kicks off at 3 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.
The stars of last summer's Euro ruled the 2025 FIFA Best Awards on Tuesday, as international players for world No. 1 Spain and No. 4 England shut out the competition at the annual ceremony in Qatar.
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won her third straight Best Women's Player of the Year award, after finishing as a runner up at both the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League and this year's Euros.
"I'm grateful to have the award, it's for all the players all the coaches and the fans, thanks very much," Bonmatí told the crowd, as the reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to recover from a broken leg.
The 2025 Euro tournament also influenced the 2025 FIFA Women's Best XI, with the lineup exclusively featuring Spain and England standouts.
Joining Bonmatí on the FIFA roster were Spain teammates Irene Paredes, Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Clàudia Pina, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas, with Euro champion Lionesses Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson, Alessia Russo, and Hannah Hampton rounding out the field.
Hampton also picked up Goalkeeper of the Year honors, with England boss Sarina Wiegman snagging the 2025 Coach of the Year award.
Months after a controversial 2025 Ballon d'Or ballot, FIFA took a similarly narrow Euro-centric view of success at the individual level for this year's Best Awards.
With just one league-phase matchday left, a trio of unbeaten clubs — Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, and Chelsea — stand alone atop the 2025/26 Champions League table, leading the 18-team pack after all three squads notched midweek wins.
No. 1 Barcelona and No. 2 OL Lyonnes each have 13 points, with the Spanish contenders earning the edge over their French counterparts with a +15 goal differential.
Meanwhile, Chelsea sits in third with 11 points following a 6-0 drubbing of No. 17 AS Roma on Wednesday, though the Blues will need a result against No. 7 Wolfsburg next week to secure a spot in March's quarterfinals with a top-four finish.
Though the byes into the quarterfinals are still up for grabs, with just one matchday left before the knockouts, several of Europe's biggest teams have qualified for February's playoffs.
Wolfsburg alongside No. 10 Paris FC, No. 9 Manchester United, No. 8 Arsenal, No. 6 Juventus, No. 5 Real Madrid, and No. 4 Bayern Munich have already racked up enough points to advance out of the league phase.
Three clubs — No. 13 Vålerenga, No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven, and No. 11 Atlético de Madrid — are fighting for the two remaining playoff tickets, with December 17th's simultaneous kickoff set to determine the winners.
How to watch the final 2025/26 Champions League league-phase matches
Determining both the first four UWCL quarterfinalists and the eight teams entering the playoffs, the final league-phase matchday will see all 18 clubs kicking off at 3 PM ET next Wednesday.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.
Spain star Aitana Bonmati is out for the rest of the 2025/26 season due to injury, after the Barcelona midfielder fractured her left fibula on Sunday while training for the second leg of La Roja's 2025 Nations League finale against Germany.
The reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner immediately departed her national team camp to return to Barcelona for further injury testing, with the Liga F club confirming on Tuesday morning that Bonmati underwent a "successful surgery" and will likely miss five months of play while recovering.
With the 27-year-old notching six goals and three assists for her club so far this season, Barcelona will first take the pitch without their superstar for five matches this month — including a pair of 2025/26 UEFA Champions League bouts against Portugal's Benfica and France's Paris FC.
Meanwhile, though Bonmatí featured in world No. 1 Spain's 0-0 first-leg draw with No. 5 Germany on Friday, the already short-handed defending Nations League champions must now contend without their midfield standout in a winner-take-all second-leg match for the 2025 trophy on Tuesday.
How to watch Spain vs. Germany in the 2025 Nations League Final
The 2025 UEFA Nations League final between No. 1 Spain and No. 5 Germany will kick off at 12:30 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage on Paramount+.
Chelsea FC are vying for a bit of UWCL revenge this week, as the perennial Champions League contenders take on 2024/25 finalists Barcelona in the 2025/26 campaign's league-phase slate on Thursday.
Last season's runners-up have ousted Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals two years in a row, with Barcelona going on to win three of the last five tournament titles.
Unfortunately for the Blues, Barcelona have never lost at Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge home pitch — and they're one of just three 2025/26 Champions League clubs to maintain a winning record so far this season.
Chelsea won't be the only WSL titan to host a Spanish side this week, as reigning UWCL champs Arsenal look to bounce back from a frustrating 1-2 league-phase start against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
"I think it's easier to get to the top than staying at the top," Arsenal coach Renée Slegers said of her team's losing run. "We have high expectations on ourselves because we know what we're capable of. At the same time, I know that the squad is really good at being in the moment, taking it game to game, and preparing as well as possible to be able to execute."
How to watch Arsenal, Chelsea in 2025/26 Champions League play this week
In their fourth of six total league-phase matches, Arsenal will kick off against Real Madrid at 3 PM ET on Wednesday before Chelsea hosts Barcelona at the same time on Thursday.
All 2025/26 Champions League matches air live on Paramount+.