An Era of Golden Dominance: Alexia Putellas Leaves Barcelona

Sophie Hurst
2 hours ago
4 min read

When Alexia Putellas announced her departure from Barcelona last week, she described her 14-year stay as ‘a perfect story.’ Alexia Putellas waves goodbye to Barcelona, countless trophies, and an era of pure dominance.

As a true legend of the game, a history maker and true inspiration, we are going to be running back through Putella's time at Barcelona, and what her next chapter may look like.

The Origin Story of a Footballing Superhero

Before she became the face of Barcelona's dominance, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner and one of the greatest players women's football has ever seen, Alexia Putellas was a young girl, with a dream of playing for Barcelona.

At seven years old, Putellas joined local club Sabadell, where she quickly stood out despite often being younger and smaller than many of the players around her. Coaches regularly spoke about her intelligence on the pitch and her ability to find space where others couldn't see it, qualities that would become trademarks of her game throughout her career.

After a brief spell in Barcelona's academy, a restructuring of the club's girls' pathway forced her to leave. She joined rivals Espanyol instead, developing into one of Spain's brightest young talents and making her senior debut at just sixteen. A move to Levante followed when she was seventeen, where she enjoyed a breakthrough season, finished as the club's top scorer and continued to develop the technical and tactical qualities that would define her career.

By the summer of 2012, Barcelona came calling, and this time, Putellas returned as one of the most exciting talents in Spanish football.

The Putellas Golden Era

Since her return to the club, Alexia has reigned in over 507 appearances, scoring 233 goals - making her the club's all-time leading female goalscorer - trailing only, the legend that is, Lionel Messi across the entire institution. During Alexia’s time at the club, she has won 38 honors, including 10 Liga F titles, 10 Copa de la Reina crowns, and 4 Champions League titles. As well as this, Putellas’ individual brilliance was rewarded when she became the first Spanish woman to win the Ballon d’Or, claiming back-to-back awards in 2021 and 2022 alongside consecutive FIFA Best Women’s Player honors, firmly establishing herself as one of the best players in the world.

Putellas’ impact stretches far beyond her footballing dominance, and she has become a key influential cultural and political figure in Spain. When she began her career, women's football wasn’t legally recognised as a profession in the country. Putellas used her platform to demand structural change, championing the player revolt that led to the full professionalisation of Liga F in the 2021-22 season.

This commitment to systemic justice came in full force in 2022, when Putellas was a key ally to Las 15; the group of Spanish national team players who went on strike in 2022 to protest toxic management and inadequate support. Later, during the 2023 World Cup fallout, she became a leading voice of the global #SeAcabó (It's Over) movement. Following the non-consensual kiss forced upon her teammate Jenni Hermoso by former federation president Luis Rubiales, Putellas demanded the immediate removal of corrupt leadership, successfully forcing deep structural reform within Spanish sports.

Ultimately, Putellas’ greatest achievement is the visibility she brought to the game. She was the focal point of a Barcelona team that twice broke the world-attendance record, packing over 91,000 screaming fans into the Camp Nou. She bridged the gap between the invisible era of women's football and the modern age of packed stadiums and global sponsorships. By showing young girls that they could not only play football, but sell out stadiums and become cultural icons.

What’s Next For Putellas?

After spending her entire senior career in Barcelona colours, Putellas enters a new chapter as one of the biggest free agents women's football has ever seen. Any club in the world would be fortunate to have her, but reports suggest she has already turned down interest from several of England's top clubs, with moves to Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United off the table due to their direct rivalry with Barcelona.

London City Lionesses have emerged as the frontrunners, with Michelle Kang's ambitious project reportedly appealing to Putellas, while NWSL clubs are also understood to be monitoring the situation closely. For a player who has already won everything there is to win, the opportunity to help build something new may be just as attractive as adding more trophies to an already overflowing cabinet.

Wherever she ends up, there’s no doubt that Putellas will have a huge impact. Personally, I would love to see her in the WSL. The league continues to attract some of the world's biggest stars, and adding a player of Putellas' calibre would be another huge statement of intent. For now, all anyone can do is wait, but if she does arrive in England, what a privilege it will be to watch one of the game's greatest players.