OFFICIAL: Alexia Putellas, Ballon d’Or winner 2021
On an already historic day marking the 122nd year of FC Barcelona’s existence, Alexia Putellas has made history today by being the winner of the third inaugural Women’s Ballon d’Or. She succeeds Megan Rapinoe’s 2019 win after captaining Barcelona to a historic continental treble. With this win, Barcelona are now the only club team to have both a male and female Ballon d’Or winner. Alexia is also the first Spaniard to win it since Barcelona legend Luis Suárez in 1960.
FCB Femení’s newfound success comes from the way they won the treble, as they dominated every single competition they played with multiple-goal score lines. Their fluid football stunned both the men and women’s football world. At the heart of that team was Alexia, whose talent and leadership pushed them to an entirely new level.
Leading the Team in it’s Historic Season
She showed up big in every single competition that Barcelona played- the Primera División, the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the Copa de la Reina, and the Supercopa Femenina. Across her season she accumulated 40 G+A in 44 matches while playing most of it as a 10 or as a center midfielder. Three of those goals and one of those assists were in major cup finals, both domestic and continental.
In the league, she accumulated 18 goals, many of which were scored in potential title-deciders and otherwise big matches. In her first match of the season, she scored and assisted against Real Madrid in the first ever Women’s Clásico. She scored in another rivalry match against Espanyol in the Camp Nou, thus becoming the first woman to score in a competitive match at the historic stadium. Just a week later, in the Supercopa Femenina, she scored in yet another rivalry match against Atlético Madrid. Her 90th minute free-kick forced the match into extra time before Barcelona were eventually defeated on penalties.
Although she was consistent for the entire 2020-21 season, her most notable performances came about near the end. In the 2021 UEFA Women’s Champions League final, with her dominant leg taped up in fear of her “hamstring breaking in half,” she scored a goal and recorded an assist against one of the best WSL sides of all time. Barcelona finished the match 4-0, the largest margin of victory in a single-legged UEFA Women’s Champions League final. The club became the first club in Europe for both its men’s and women’s team to win a Champions League.
Decisive when it matters the most
Alexia’s next two matches were the semifinal and final of the Copa de la Reina. There she scored 4 total goals and assisted once. In the semifinal, she started, scored a brace and recorded an against Madrid CFF in a 4-0 win. In the final against Levante, she started the match at halftime and scored Barcelona’s second goal. Barcelona went 3-0 up, but the granotas gained momentum to edge the match to 3-2. Alexia stepped up to score Barcelona’s fourth, breaking Levante’s rhythm and completing the European treble. FC Barcelona once again made history that day by becoming the first European team to have both its men and women’s teams complete a continental treble.
This season alone, Alexia has already tallied an unreal 24 G+A in just 13 matches, and has done so against opposition like Arsenal, Real Sociedad, and Hoffenheim. There has only been one match in the current season where she has not scored or assisted- Barcelona’s 0-3 away win against Atléti. Otherwise, she averages a goal a game.
Amazing day for FC Barcelona
In a day of recognition for past, present, and future blaugrana greatness, Alexia stands on the Ballon d’Or podium today with former Barcelona player and club legend Lionel Messi, and fellow Barcelona player Pedri González. After the season she has had, she is by far the most deserving to be there next to them.
