Spain international Alexia Putellas has claimed her third Women's Ballon d'Or, equalling Aitana Bonmati's record and extending Spain's dominance of the prestigious award to six consecutive years.
The 32-year-old midfielder secured the honour following an outstanding 2025-26 campaign in which she captained Barcelona to Champions League glory and a historic quadruple before completing a summer move to Women's Super League (WSL) club London City Lionesses.
Putellas previously won the Ballon d'Or Feminin in 2021 and 2022, while former Barcelona team-mate Bonmati claimed three successive awards between 2023 and 2025.
The Spanish duo have now dominated the competition for six consecutive editions, with Norway's Ada Hegerberg and United States star Megan Rapinoe the only other winners since the award was introduced in 2018.
Putellas' latest triumph represents another remarkable milestone in her recovery from the serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she suffered in 2022.
Speaking after receiving the award, Putellas delivered an inspirational message to aspiring footballers worldwide.
"All the boys and girls around the world - if you love football and if you want to play football, play football. It doesn't matter if you're a boy or if you're a girl," she said.
"Doesn't matter where you come from. Don't listen if someone tells you, you can't do it. Believe in yourself."
Putellas topped the voting conducted by an international panel of journalists representing FIFA's 50 highest-ranked countries. Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor finished second, while Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw completed the top three.
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane claimed the men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to receive the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Despite Barcelona's continued dominance of Spanish women's football, Putellas' individual performances throughout the 2025-26 season demonstrated why she remains among the world's elite.
Nicknamed La Reina, meaning "The Queen", the midfielder registered 21 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
Those figures placed her third for goals and second for assists among players competing in Europe's five leading leagues.
Seven of her goals came in the Women's Champions League, helping Barcelona secure their fourth European title in six seasons.
Only Ewa Pajor (11), Alessia Russo (nine) and Pernille Harder (eight) scored more goals in the competition, an impressive achievement considering Putellas operates primarily as a midfielder.
Her creative influence was equally significant.
In Liga F, where Barcelona secured a seventh consecutive league title, Putellas recorded seven assists and created 40 chances from open play, ranking joint-sixth and fourth respectively.
Across Europe's top five leagues, she was involved in 151 attacking sequences ending in an open-play shot. Only Claudia Pina (199), Vicky Lopez (183) and Georgia Stanway (168) recorded higher totals.
Her overall creative statistics were even more impressive.
Across Liga F, the Champions League, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de Espana, Putellas produced:
The latter figure represented the highest number of chances created by a player in a single Women's Champions League campaign since Caroline Graham Hansen registered 38 during the 2021-22 season.
These numbers underline Putellas' ability to influence matches through goals, assists, passing and attacking creativity.
Putellas' journey to becoming one of women's football's most decorated players began in Mollet del Valles, a Catalan municipality approximately 12 miles north-east of Barcelona.
Growing up as a passionate Barcelona supporter, she regularly attended matches at Camp Nou and developed an admiration for club legends Andres Iniesta, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.
Her early football development included attending a summer camp organised by Xavi, representing local club CE Sabadell and spending a year at Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy.
After her girls' team was disbanded, Putellas continued her development with Espanyol and Levante before returning to Barcelona in 2012.
What followed was an extraordinary 14-year spell with her childhood club.
During that period, Putellas collected 38 major trophies, including 10 league titles and four European crowns, establishing herself as one of the most influential figures in Barcelona's history.
However, her remarkable career was not without significant setbacks.
After winning her first Ballon d'Or in 2021, Putellas suffered a serious ACL injury shortly before Euro 2022, forcing her to miss the tournament.
Although she retained the Ballon d'Or later that year, her recovery proved challenging.
She played only a limited role in Spain's victorious 2023 Women's World Cup campaign as she worked towards regaining her best form.
A goal in the 2024 Champions League final marked an important step in her resurgence, while her performances continued to improve over the following seasons.
By 2025-26, Putellas had once again become Barcelona's attacking heartbeat.
With Bonmati sidelined for five months through injury, Putellas assumed greater creative responsibility and helped guide the Catalan giants to four major trophies.
She also delivered for Spain, scoring twice in a commanding 4-0 victory over England in June that secured qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup.
After 14 years representing Barcelona's senior team, Putellas decided the time had come for a fresh challenge.
With her contract approaching its conclusion, the midfielder attracted interest from clubs in England, Mexico and the United States.
She ultimately chose London City Lionesses, joining the ambitious project backed by American billionaire Michelle Kang in July.
The departure was emotional for both Putellas and Barcelona supporters, bringing an end to one of the most successful partnerships in women's football.
However, the Spanish midfielder explained that her decision was driven by a desire to continue developing both personally and professionally.
"I'm just always looking forward to better things and that's why I'm here too, because I always need to be moving as a person and a player," Putellas told BBC's Women's Football Weekly podcast in August.
Her early performances in England suggest that her competitive edge remains intact.
With three goals and one assist in her opening seven WSL appearances for London City Lionesses, Putellas has already demonstrated the quality that made her a global superstar.
Now a three-time Ballon d'Or winner, the Spanish icon continues to redefine expectations and reinforce her standing among the greatest players in women's football history.
At 32, La Reina is showing no signs of surrendering her crown.
