Alexia Putellas wins her third Ballon d'Or in London

Alexia Putellas, captain of FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, and currently with London City Lionesses, won this Monday the 2026 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Spanish player to achieve a third award of this prestigious prize.

A new era of Ballon d'Ors

Following consecutive triumphs in 2021 and 2022, Putellas matches Aitana Bonmatí with three Ballon d'Ors, adding six straight years of Spanish dominance. This record consolidates Spain's hegemony in women's football worldwide.

At thirty-two years old, the Catalan midfielder led the voting ahead of Ewa Pajor and her national teammate Claudia Pina. Her influence on the pitch surpassed that of her rivals, securing the highest individual honour.

The award was presented at a ceremony in London, where the player displayed a more cerebral and decisive tactical evolution. She adapted her game to become even more untraceable, reinforcing her role as the engine of the team.

Triumphs with Barcelona

After her return to FC Barcelona, Putellas led the side to a new historic treble: the Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Women's Champions League. In the European final she was named best player, and her personal stats were twenty-one goals and fourteen assists in fifty-four matches.

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With the Spanish national team, her spiritual and footballing leadership has been key to maintaining the side's international success. The player remains the central figure driving Spain in high‑level competitions.

The France Football jury valued above all the individual performance and decisive ability in the most demanding matches. The point gap in the final voting made clear the lack of debate over her superiority this year.

When the anterior cruciate ligament was torn in the summer of 2022, many doubted her future. Putellas used the rehabilitation process to rebuild herself, emerging with a sharper game vision and a clinical reading of space.

Alexia Putellas' third Ballon d'Or Feminin fuels Barcelona‑Spain reign

This third Ballon d'Or not only celebrates her talent, but also confirms that Spanish football is living an unprecedented hegemonic era, sweeping the top awards of the last five years and consolidating its position as the epicentre of global women's talent.