Alexia Putellas Biography: Three-Time Ballon d’Or Winner and Barcelona Legend

October 27, 2026

Daniel Reed

Alexia Putellas is a Spanish professional footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the women’s game. Born on 4 February 1994 in Mollet del Vallès, Catalonia, she captained FC Barcelona Femení for years, won the Ballon d’Or Féminin in 2021, 2022 and again in 2026, and now plays for London City Lionesses in England’s Women’s Super League.

Quick facts

Full name: Alèxia Putellas i Segura
Born: 4 February 1994, Mollet del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
Position: Midfielder (also plays as a forward)
Current club: London City Lionesses (since July 2026)
Former clubs: Espanyol, Levante, FC Barcelona (2012–2026)
Known for: Three Ballon d’Or Féminin awards, Barcelona’s all-time top scorer, 2023 World Cup winner with Spain
Nickname: “La Reina” (“The Queen”)

Early life and background

Alèxia Putellas i Segura was born on 4 February 1994 in Mollet del Vallès, a town near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, to Jaume Putellas Rota and Elisabet Segura Sabaté. She has a younger sister, Alba. Her family were devoted FC Barcelona supporters, and she travelled with them to watch matches at Camp Nou as a child. She idolised Barcelona midfielders Andrés Iniesta, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. (Wikipedia; Britannica)

Putellas began playing football at school and joined her first club, CE Sabadell, in 2001 at the age of seven. She spent a year in Barcelona’s youth academy in 2005–06 before moving to Espanyol, where she played most of her youth football. In 2013 she began studying Business Administration and Management at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, later taking a break from her studies to focus on professional football. (Britannica)

Club career: Espanyol, Levante and Barcelona

Putellas made her senior top-flight debut for Espanyol in 2010 at just 16, helping the team reach the 2010–11 Copa de la Reina final. In July 2011 she transferred to Levante, where she scored 15 goals in 34 appearances in a single season and finished as the club’s top scorer. (Britannica)

In the summer of 2012, shortly after her father’s death, Putellas rejoined Barcelona, the club she had supported since childhood. She would stay for 14 seasons, until 2026. In that time she made 508 appearances and scored 232 goals, becoming Barcelona Femení’s all-time leading goalscorer. She won 38 major honours with the club, including 10 Liga F titles and four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles, in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026. (ESPN; SoccerNews)

The 2020–21 season was her breakthrough at the very top: she played an essential role as Barcelona won the Champions League and a continental treble for the first time in the club’s history. She then won the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Award, the Ballon d’Or Féminin and The Best FIFA Women’s Player in 2021, becoming the first player to win all three in the same year. In 2022 she won all three again, becoming the first woman to win any of them in consecutive years — even though she had missed that summer’s European Championship through injury. (Wikipedia)

The ACL injury and the comeback

In July 2022, just before UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, Putellas ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee. She underwent surgery and spent ten months in rehabilitation before returning in April 2023. The injury limited her role in Spain’s 2023 Women’s World Cup-winning campaign, but she gradually returned to her best, scoring in the 2024 Women’s Champions League final and captaining Barcelona to further titles. (Britannica; Times of India)

Her final Barcelona season, 2025–26, was one of her finest. She captained the club to a continental quadruple — Liga F, Copa de la Reina, the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Women’s Champions League — and was named UEFA Women’s Champions League Player of the Season after Barcelona beat OL Lyonnes 4–0 in the final in Oslo. She recorded seven goals and seven assists in 11 Champions League appearances that season, more goal contributions than any other player in the competition. (Morocco World News)

International career with Spain

Putellas made her senior debut for Spain in June 2013 and has since become the country’s most-capped women’s player, with 150 caps and 43 goals as of 13 October 2026. She won the FIFA Women’s World Cup with Spain in 2023 and the UEFA Women’s Nations League in 2024, and was part of the side that lost the Euro 2025 final to England on penalties. In June 2026 she scored twice in Spain’s 4–0 victory over England, a result that secured Spain’s place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup. (Wikipedia; Britannica)

After the 2023 World Cup, Putellas was one of 81 players who refused to play for Spain after Luis Rubiales, then president of the Spanish football federation, kissed player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony. Hermoso later said she had not consented to the kiss. Putellas publicly supported Hermoso using the slogan #SeAcabó (“That’s enough”) and later testified in the case against Rubiales. (Britannica)

London City Lionesses and the third Ballon d’Or

On 8 July 2026, Putellas signed a three-year contract with London City Lionesses of England’s Women’s Super League, joining on a free transfer after her Barcelona contract expired. The club, owned by American businesswoman Michele Kang, is a women-only independent club. Putellas said the club’s ambition and its commitment to growing as a women-only independent club resonated deeply with her, and she made her debut for the club in September 2026. (ESPN; Britannica)

On 26 October 2026, at the Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium, Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Féminin for a third time, following her wins in 2021 and 2022. She became only the second player to win the women’s award three times, equalling the record of her compatriot Aitana Bonmatí, who won in 2023, 2024 and 2025. England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane won the men’s award on the same night. (UEFA; Morocco World News)

Personal life

Putellas keeps her private life largely out of public view, and this article makes no claims about her relationships. Her father, Jaume, died in 2012, shortly before she returned to Barcelona; she has often pointed to the sky when celebrating goals in his memory. She is known to fans as “La Reina” — the Queen. (Wikipedia)

Net worth snapshot

Alexia Putellas’s net worth is estimated at $5–7 million as of 2026, based on published aggregator estimates — there is no Forbes, Bloomberg or Hurun valuation for her. Her wealth comes mainly from club salaries across a 14-year Barcelona career and her London City Lionesses contract, plus endorsements. Read the full breakdown in Alexia Putellas’s net worth, including why published salary reports for her London move disagree sharply.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Alexia Putellas?

Alexia Putellas is a Spanish professional footballer, born on 4 February 1994, who plays as a midfielder for London City Lionesses and the Spain national team. She spent 14 seasons at Barcelona, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer, and has won the Ballon d’Or Féminin three times.

How many Ballon d’Or awards has Alexia Putellas won?

Alexia Putellas has won the Ballon d’Or Féminin three times: in 2021, 2022 and 2026. Her third win, on 26 October 2026, equalled Aitana Bonmatí’s record of three women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

Why did Alexia Putellas leave Barcelona?

Putellas left Barcelona in the summer of 2026 after 14 seasons, when her contract expired. She signed a three-year deal with London City Lionesses in England, saying she wanted a new chapter with a women-only independent club.

What injury did Alexia Putellas suffer in 2022?

In July 2022 Putellas ruptured the ACL in her left knee, ruling her out of Euro 2022. After surgery and ten months of rehabilitation she returned in April 2023 and went on to win further Champions League titles and a third Ballon d’Or.

How many goals did Alexia Putellas score for Barcelona?

Alexia Putellas scored 232 goals in 508 appearances for Barcelona Femení, making her the club’s all-time leading goalscorer in the women’s team.