'More than 11' - Alexia Putellas' 11 most iconic career moments as Barcelona star releases historic new Nike boot to celebrate influence on and off the pitch

Although Barcelona did not win the Champions League in the 2021-22 campaign, Putellas’ efforts were recognised when she was named the competition’s Player of the Season.

With 11 goals across the tournament, including one in the final loss to Lyon, the midfielder once again led by example, covering over 53km, bettered only by her team-mate Aitana Bonmati, and scoring in eight of her 10 European appearances.

It was also the first season that Putellas surpassed 30 goals in all competitions, with the Spanish international once again standing out from the crowd.

Barcelona are currently vying for their seventh straight Liga F title, but Putellas already has nine winners' medals to her name. 

As a lifelong supporter of the club, the feeling of lifting the trophy has never faded, and the four-year gap between league triumphs (2015-19) will have been particularly difficult for her.

From her very first parade just months after joining the club to her most recent success in the Supercopa de Espana, Putellas’ journey to becoming Barcelona’s most decorated player has been filled with iconic moments.

Now, aided by her signature logo and Phantom 6 Player Edition boots, there will be a renewed hunger to secure a historic tenth domestic title.

Putellas’ career has followed a balanced path of winning both team and individual accolades. While some players are honoured despite limited silverware, Putellas has achieved both.

In 2020-21, she was named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, a remarkable achievement in its own right. Twelve months later, she claimed the award again, matching Pernille Harder’s tally. 

The difference was that Putellas became the first player to win the accolade consecutively, stamping her own mark on the award and putting herself on a pedestal above the others.

For many players, winning the Champions League represents the pinnacle of club football, and the Barcelona captain is no exception.

Putellas is a three-time winner of the competition, most recently in 2023-24, when Barca beat French powerhouses Lyon.

She could easily have doubled that total were it not for three agonising final defeats across her career. Nonetheless, winning Europe’s top prize even once is a huge milestone, making Barcelona’s repeated success a testament to Putellas and her team-mates.

In 2022, Putellas made history by becoming the first female player to reach 100 caps for the Spanish national team.

Four years on, the Catalonia-born forward is now closing in on 150 caps, but her initial achievement should not be brushed aside. 

Her dedication and consistency at the highest level is typical of La Reina, and it is not surprising to see her still performing at an elite standard 13 years after her international debut.

FIFA’s ‘The Best’ award recognises the most outstanding performer in the women’s game, and Putellas is a two-time winner of the prestigious title.

She claimed the award in successive seasons in 2021 and 2022, fending off competition from the likes of Alex Morgan and Beth Mead. Barcelona’s number eleven was rewarded for leading the club to a domestic treble and a Champions League final.

Described as a difference-maker and driving force behind the Catalans’ success, Putellas was considered a worthy winner by the voters, made up of national team coaches, captains and a panel of select journalists and experts.

Putellas is widely known as the Queen of Barcelona, and her elite goalscoring record explains why. She has been a regular source of goals from her playmaking position and became a goalscoring centurion for the club in 2019.

Since then, she has more than doubled her tally, netting 226 times for her club in fewer than 500 appearances, with over 150 coming in Liga F. 

By surpassing Jenni Hermoso as Barcelona’s top scorer in the competition, she cemented her place in club history and looks set to continue adding to her total beyond 2026.

Across both the men’s and women’s teams, Putellas hit another major milestone in recent months.

The 31-year-old overtook Luis Suarez in the scoring charts back in October 2025, a huge feat considering the Uruguayan’s prolific years alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Now, the Spanish champion has her sights set on claiming second spot from Cesar Rodriguez, who scored 232 goals for the club. While Lionel Messi’s record of 672 goals remains out of reach, Putellas has firmly established herself among Barcelona’s greatest-ever goalscorers.

Few injuries in football are tougher to recover from than an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

Putellas was an unfortunate victim of exactly that in 2022, on the eve of the European Championship. She missed out on the opportunity to compete for major silverware with Spain that summer, but she refused to let that setback influence the rest of her career.

She returned to action in April 2023, appearing for the first time in over 10 months and helping Barca secure their fourth consecutive Liga F title.

Putellas netted her first goal back in action a few weeks later, rounding off a phenomenal comeback, which was yet another sign of the resilience and never-say-die attitude that has forged her path to the top.

Putellas’ redemption arc reached its peak at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

After being met with the heartbreaking news that she would not compete at the Euros a year earlier, her story came full circle as Spain went on to defeat England in the final and lift the World Cup.

It was one of the crowning moments in Putellas’ career. Despite winning everything club football had to offer her, a trophy with her country was the one accolade missing from her collection. 

During the tournament, Putellas made seven appearances, and her leadership was crucial in helping La Roja over the line. That moment in Sydney also served as a catapult to more success for Spain, who have since gone on to win the Women’s Nations League twice and finished as runners up at last summer’s European Championship.

There is no individual prize more prestigious in football than the Ballon d’Or. 

Putellas first won the Ballon d’Or Féminin in 2021 after a remarkable season in which she lifted the Champions League as Barcelona captain and claimed both the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year and FIFA ‘The Best’ awards.

One year later, she won the award again. In 2022, she became the first player to win the Ballon d’Or twice in a row, while also retaining her UEFA honour.

It was the ultimate validation of a legacy that will endure beyond her playing career, securing Putellas’ place as an icon of the game and one of the greatest players of all time.