Alexia Putellas has won her third career Ballon d’Or at a ceremony held at the Palladium in London, returning to the summit of global women’s football four years after her last victory, as reported by as.com. The Spanish midfielder secured the coveted golden trophy following a dominant campaign that saw her sweep domestic and continental titles with FC Barcelona before making a high-profile transfer to the London City Lionesses.
A Historic Night for Spanish Football at the Palladium in London
The London gala crowned a remarkably successful period for Spanish football, as detailed by El Mundo. Alongside Putellas, the event recognized several key figures from the national teams and clubs, marking the sixth year a Spanish player has claimed the women’s Ballon d’Or.
Cualquiera de las que estáis aquí hubiera sido justo que estuvierais aquí arriba. Fue un placer jugar con todas y cada una de vosotras,
Putellas told her former Barcelona teammates during her acceptance speech, according to El Mundo. Hemos pasado momentos increíbles, superamos dificultades. Fue un orgullo ser capitana de todas vosotras.
Alexia Putellas, winner of the 2021 and 2022 Ballon d'Or, is on the red carpet #ballondor pic.twitter.com/efeJ3SPoAO
Overcoming Years of Knee Injuries and Physical Setbacks
The path back to the Ballon d'Or stage required overcoming significant medical hurdles. When Putellas collected her second award in 2022, she admitted that her prospects looked bleak after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear in her left knee on July 5 of that year while preparing for the European Championship with Spain. She spent at least a year recovering and returned for the 2023 Women’s Champions League final against Wolfsburg, though she later required an arthroscopic review procedure in December 2023 to clean out lingering joint irritation.
Despite playing through a truncated 2023–24 season that totaled 27 appearances and 11 goals—highlighted by a memorable strike in the Champions League final against Olympique Lyonnais in Bilbao—she gradually rebuilt her match sharpness. By the 2024–25 term, operating under manager Pere Romeu, she logged 39 matches, 22 goals, and 16 assists for Barcelona, finishing fourth in the previous year’s Ballon d’Or voting.
Domestic Dominance and Continental Glory Precede English Move
The decisive stretch for her latest award came during a season where Barcelona weathered long-term injuries to key midfielders, with Patri Guijarro sidelined for three months and Aitana Bonmatí out for six. Putellas shouldered the leadership burden as captain, guiding the Catalan club to a clean sweep of the Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de España, Liga F Moeve, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Across 40 appearances in all competitions, she contributed 20 goals and 13 assists. Internationally, she helped Spain capture the UEFA Women’s Nations League crown, netting six goals and two assists in 12 matches, while also earning the honor of best player of the Champions League after registering seven goals and seven assists in 11 matches.
A Summer Transition to the London City Lionesses
Following her milestone achievements—which included surpassing 500 official appearances and 232 goals for Barcelona—Putellas departed the club to embrace a new professional venture at age 32. She signed with the London City Lionesses, a project backed by businesswoman Michele Kang aimed at expanding the commercial viability and competitive profile of the women’s game.
Her arrival in English football was met with an extensive launch presentation in New York and immediate ticket sales that exhausted the club’s available season memberships. As rtve.es noted, her move establishes a new chapter for an organization seeking to build top-tier pedigree.
Related reading
