In a small town north of Barcelona called Mollet del Vallès, a young girl used to play football on the streets. At home, football was almost always on the television, and she would watch, mesmerized, as Andrés Iniesta worked his magic with the ball. The play of Rivaldo and Ronaldinho also drew her in like a magnet. Whenever she had the chance, she would head to Camp Nou to watch Barcelona play.
That girl would one day become the queen of Barcelona—her name is Alexia Putellas.
The football world calls her "La Reina"—Spanish for "the queen." But even a queen faces difficult times; there is always the fear of losing one’s crown, and at times, the throne itself may begin to wobble.
Such a moment arrived in Putellas’s life. In 2022, a devastating knee injury nearly brought her career to an end. Yet, four years later, she has returned to the pinnacle, once again named the best in the world. She has now won the Women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time.
With this, the 32-year-old Spanish midfielder has equaled the record held by her compatriot, Aitana Bonmatí. Putellas won the award twice in succession, in 2021 and 2022, after which the crown of the world’s best went to Bonmatí in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Now, it is Putellas once again.
In women’s football, the Ballon d’Or has practically become the personal property of Spain! For six consecutive years, the award has gone to a Spanish player. Since Norway’s Ada Hegerberg won in 2018 and the United States’ Megan Rapinoe in 2019, no player from any other nation has claimed the prize.
However, Putellas’ latest victory is more than just another trophy; it is the story of an artist who had lost her tools—her brushes and paints—only to reclaim them once again.
Just before the 2022 Euros, Putellas suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, which ruled her out of the tournament. Although she won her second Ballon d’Or that year, the Putellas of old was nowhere to be seen on the pitch. In 2023, Spain went on to win the World Cup, yet Putellas’ contribution to that historic triumph was limited. The very player who was once the heartbeat of the team found herself relegated to a peripheral role during the celebrations of their global conquest.
How did that feel? Perhaps she suffered deeply within. Perhaps she even questioned herself: would she ever be able to play the way she once did? She provided the answer, bit by bit, out on the pitch.
She scored in the 2024 Champions League final and performed even better the following season. By the 2025-26 season, the football world saw the return of the "old" Putellas in full form. She won four trophies with Barcelona and, as captain, led the team to the Champions League title. With Aitana Bonmatí sidelined for five months due to injury, Putellas took on the significant responsibility of orchestrating the team’s attack—a role she fulfilled with the grace and authority of a queen.
It would be a mistake to judge Putellas’s game solely by her goals. She both scores and creates them; at times, she delivers passes from midfield that completely dismantle the opposition’s defense. Last season, she recorded 21 goals across all competitions and provided 13 assists. Among players in Europe’s top five leagues, she ranked third in goals and second in assists. She netted 7 goals in the Champions League alone, helping Barcelona secure their fourth European title in six seasons. In that competition, only Ewa Pajor (11), Alessia Russo (9), and Pernille Harder (8)—all of whom are primarily strikers—scored more goals than her.