Alexia Putellas’s career mirrors Barcelona’s rise

Alexia Putellas amassed 508 appearances, 232 goals and 38 trophies for Barcelona, including four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles and two Ballon d’Or Féminin awards. Her senior journey with the club began after she rejoined Barcelona in 2012. In a farewell video, Putellas recalls watching matches at Camp Nou with her father, the moment that sparked her ambition. She later described that memory as the true beginning of her football story. She entered Barcelona’s youth system, La Masia, in 2005 and collected youth titles. During that period she also won a Copa Catalunya with the academy side. When Barcelona’s women’s structure was restructured, she left for city rivals Espanyol. At Espanyol she trained alongside future Barcelona teammates Marta Torrejón and Andrea Pereira. She made her senior debut at 16 and won the Copa de la Reina at 17. At 17 she moved to Levante, where Antonio Contreras oversaw her development. She scored fifteen goals in a single season, never missed a match and finished as Levante’s top scorer. Xavi Llorens, then head coach of Barcelona, had long expected her return. Barcelona were building a multi‑year project when she signed, aiming to compete in Europe. Putellas stayed through Barcelona’s early European campaigns, including a 2019 final loss to Lyon. She later helped the club secure four Champions League titles, establishing Barcelona as a reference point in women’s football.