The grand night of world football added another year to the name of a Spanish female footballer written in golden letters. Alexia Putellas won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time after a season in which she broke records with FC Barcelona. The Spanish international, 32, was awarded at a ceremony held this Monday at the Palladium in London, where the English forward Harry Kane claimed the men’s award ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.
Last season, Alexia Putellas scored 21 goals and provided 13 assists for Barça, captaining the Catalan side to achieve a spectacular quadruple. Moreover, she scored five goals in ten matches with the national team, which was proclaimed champion of the Nations League. The Spaniard beat her former Barcelona teammate Ewa Pajor. Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw finished in third.
The talented midfielder, who this summer joined the WSL’s London City Lionesses on a three-year contract, thus becomes the sixth player from our country to win the Women’s Ballon d’Or in a row. Following her triumphs in 2021 and 2022 were the three consecutive victories of Barça’s Aitana Bonmatí.
Alexia Putellas’ third Ballon d’Or adds to an extensive trophy cabinet. During her spell at Barcelona, she won 38 trophies, including 10 league titles. This is the first Ballon d’Or she has won since suffering a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury on the eve of Euro 2022. The player recovered full physical fitness toward the end of the following season and, since then, has returned to an outstanding level.
The Emotional Speech of Alexia Putellas
«I want to start by thanking my teammates», began Alexia Putellas from the stage, Ballon d’Or in hand. «I believe that any one of you here could have justly won this trophy and be delivering this speech at this moment. It is a great pleasure to play alongside each and every one of you. We have lived incredible experiences as a team».
Alexia Putellas with Harry Kane.
On the hard path that led her to win this prize again, the London City Lionesses player said they had overcome “some difficulties, some injuries, some moments we did not expect as a team,” and all of that had meant “a great pride for me as captain.” Then, she dedicated the trophy “to all the boys and girls in the world: if you like football and want to play football, play football. It doesn’t matter if you are boys or girls, nor where you come from. Do not listen if someone tells you that you can’t do it. Believe in yourselves.”
And after thanking her national team teammates, she wanted to finish her speech by remembering “my mother, my family, my friends, all my team off the pitch. I am aware that if last season I returned to enjoying football it was thanks to you. I remember the moments when my leg failed me, when I learned to walk again, to run again, to shoot again. When I had the most doubts, you were there, helping me. I love you all.»
Triumph of Spanish football
The great victory of Alexia Putellas was the crowning glory of a historic night for our football in London, especially for FC Barcelona. The Blaugrana club also took home the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, with Lamine Yamal in the men’s category and with Vicky López in the women’s; the award for the best goalkeeper, with Cata Coll; the award for the best coach, with Pere Romeu: and the prize for the best club in the world, which was collected by its president, Joan Laporta.
The national team, world champions in 2026, also basked in glory, with the best goalkeeper prize for Athletic’s goalkeeper Unai Simón, and the best coach for Luis de la Fuente. Regarding the disappointment that Lamine Yamal did not win this year’s top prize, the national team coach said, “He is going to win many Ballon d’Ors, he is going to win many individual awards. But what matters more is that he will win many more collective ones”.
