Three years on, Alexia Putellas has unfinished business at the Euros

On the eve of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, Alexia Putellas was set to lead Spain into a summer of promise. Fresh off a dominant season with Barcelona and her first Ballon d'Or win, she was at the peak of her game, the face of a team tipped to finally conquer Europe. But one moment in training changed everything.

A torn ACL, suffered just one day before the start of the Euros, not only took her out of the tournament but left her staring down the toughest chapter of her career. “It wasn’t just my knee that hurt; it was my soul,” she told El País.

Three years on, as UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 kicks off in Switzerland, Putellas returns not as a question mark but as Spain’s most powerful weapon.

A comeback built on resilience

For Putellas, rehabilitation was more than a physical battle, it was a total reconstruction of mind and body. Long days in the gym, moments of doubt, and learning to trust her knee again pushed her beyond her limits.

“It tests everything inside you, your passion, your patience, your love for football,” she said in an interview with UEFA. “All that suffering makes you evolve, not only as an athlete but as a person.”

Her long-awaited return came in April 2023, stepping onto the pitch during Barcelona’s Liga F title-clinching match. The roar from the crowd wasn’t just about seeing her play again, it was about watching a champion reclaim her place.

Reclaiming Europe with Barça

Since her return, Putellas has shown the world why she remains one of the most complete players in football.

In the 2023/24 season, she played 27 matches across all competitions, scoring 11 goals. Her standout moment came in the Champions League final against Lyon: coming off the bench to score the decisive goal in a 2–0 win, securing back-to-back European titles for Barça. “That goal felt like closing a circle,” she told Mundo Deportivo. “It was pure freedom.”

Unnati Naidu/DAZN

The 2024/25 season cemented her renaissance. Fully fit and commanding every match, Putellas recorded 39 appearances, 22 goals, and 17 assists, averaging a direct goal contribution every 44 minutes. In Liga F alone, she tallied 16 goals and 11 assists across 24 games.

Eyes on Euro 2025

Returning to La Roja, Putellas remains at the core of a Spanish side that has grown into a global powerhouse, World Cup winners in 2023, Nations League champions in 2024, and now aiming to complete the set with a European title.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” she said at Spain’s pre-tournament camp in Lausanne. “The Euros were taken from me once. This time, I’m here to give everything, for myself, for my teammates, and everyone who believed in me.” she told UEFA.

Despite their favorite tag, Putellas is quick to keep her team grounded. “We can’t assume we’re already champions,” she warned. “Every game is a battle. We have to earn every moment.” 

Aiming for a third Ballon d’Or

Beyond team ambitions, Putellas heads into EURO 2025 as the frontrunner for a historic third Ballon d’Or. Recent Power Rankings by Goal and TNT Sports have placed her firmly at the top of the 2025 race. Goal’s latest list ranks her as one of the two standout favorites alongside teammate Aitana Bonmatí. TNT Sports echoes that view, calling Putellas the pre-eminent contender among a Barcelona-heavy shortlist of global stars.

Her case is built on more than reputation. After her ACL comeback, she has delivered elite-level consistency: 22 goals and 17 assists in 2024/25 alone. 

At 31, with two Ballon d’Or trophies already, front-runner for a third, winning would be a feat that would place her among the most legendary names in the game’s history.

Mentality and leadership

Putellas’s comeback isn’t just about fitness, it’s about mindset. She has returned sharper, more ruthless, and as driven as ever. Her game intelligence, composure under pressure, and ability to change matches with one touch make her one of the most feared players in world football.

At 31, she’s embraced her role as a mentor, helping guide talents like Claudia Pina, Vicky Lopez while maintaining her place as the team’s creative engine.

Unnati Naidu/DAZN

Though she often shrugs off the “role model” label, her teammates and fans see her as the standard. She insists she is “just another player,” but her presence is anything but ordinary.

Putellas’s stats are extraordinary: more than 100 caps for Spain, two Ballon d’Or titles, multiple Champions League crowns, and now 44 goals in 78 matches across her last two club seasons. But her story is more than just numbers.

She turned what could have been a career-defining setback into the foundation for a new chapter. “In the end, the most important thing is to win the Euro. That’s what matters now,” she tells UEFA.

Final act or new beginning?

For Alexia Putellas, UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 is not just a chance to lift a trophy. It is a mission to reclaim the stage she lost in 2022 and redefine her career on her terms.

Will it be the crowning moment of her journey? Perhaps. But whether or not she holds the European trophy aloft in Switzerland, Putellas’s story is already one of courage, perseverance, and unyielding excellence.

Watch Alexia Putellas and Spain live at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 on DAZN in Germany.