The story starts at Camp Nou. Long before 91,553 people would chant her name in awe and reverence in equal parts, a starry-eyed six-year-old girl walked into the stadium with her father. The journey from her home took less than an hour in the car. Her eyes followed the men in blaugrana; the blue and deep red stripes that represented her childhood club. At home and in school, she never let go of the ball. Her parents, the first of millions to recognize her love and potential for the sport, enrolled her in training. A few years down the line, 11-year-old Alexia Putellas joined La Masia, the youth academy of FC Barcelona, the club of her dreams.In 2012, around a month after her father’s passing, Alexia returned to Barcelona after starting her senior career at Espanyol and a short stint at Levante. She was a star signing of an overlooked women’s team that lacked even a dedicated training pitch, one looking to build itself from the ground up. The team that the then 18-year-old took on her shoulders.
The girl who belonged to Camp Nou
A decade rolled on. She was bowing down in celebration in front of a record-breaking crowd of 91,553 at the Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe, who chanted her name in awe and reverence in equal parts. She had just scored against eternal rivals Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the highest stage of competitive club football.“Alexia, Alexia, Alexia” was the collective, rhythmic call that echoed inside the stadium.About an hour earlier, as the city of Barcelona had hummed with anticipation, Barca Femení were set to play their first game at Camp Nou in front of a crowd. As the players walked into the stadium, Alexia, the captain, was first in line; as she always was, in all matters of the club. The stands were coloured by the blue and dark red hues of FC Barcelona and the yellow and reds of Catalunya. ‘More than Empowerment,’ read the mosaic—a rallying cry that had followed the team throughout the season.It was the largest crowd that the stadium had recorded all season: 5,000 more than the audience that had been present for the Men’s Clasico. To comprehend the scale of the turnout, one must remember that Estadi Johan Cruyff, the regular home ground of the women’s team, is a 6,000-capacity stadium. Not even the Real Madrid players wanted to leave Camp Nou after they had lost. At the heart of it all was Alexia, who led the celebrations on drums while she sang along with the crowd and her teammates.
When Barcelona Femení conquered Europe
A year prior, she had led her club to a treble after winning their first Women’s Champions League title in history by defeating Chelsea in the final by four goals. In the aftermath of the triumph, she became the first Spanish Ballon d’Or winner since 1960. It was followed by a pathbreaking 2021-22 season from the club with unparalleled unbeaten runs, only to end in tears as they failed to best the formidable Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. The UWCL trophy could not be theirs in 2022, but Alexia became the first player to win the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award and the Ballon d’Or Féminin in consecutive years. Her individual brilliance did not require a treble to be recognized.On July 6, 2022, FC Barcelona announced that Alexia had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee while training with the Spanish national team ahead of the Euros. She was sidelined for nearly a year as she underwent surgery and grappled with one of the most challenging and devastating injuries in the sport.Returning from injury, she won a second UWCL alongside her team. Yet, the complications from her injuries followed her. Alexia could not play without pain and discomfort. She had to undergo an arthroscopic procedure in December 2023.Still in an unsettled position after her long-term injury, Alexia had started on the bench in the 2024 UWCL final. She was brought on in the 92nd minute with Barcelona protecting a one-goal lead. It took her barely a couple of minutes on the pitch to fire a brilliant left-footed shot into the top-left corner of the net. It sealed the victory as Bilbao’s San Mamés Stadium erupted in celebration. Olympique Lyonnais, the team they somehow could not get the better of for years, had finally been bested.
The final bow of a trailblazer
Alexia leaves as the most decorated player in the history of FC Barcelona, with 38 trophies, many of which she lifted while donning the captain’s armband. With more than 230 goals in over 500 appearances, the 32-year-old midfielder is the highest scorer in the history of the women’s team.It will be a disservice to the captain to simply measure her legacy through trophies and awards. Her story goes beyond tangible metrics of success; it is also the enthralling way she plays—her brilliant first touch, captivating playmaking and lethal finish, the way the stadium holds its breath when she has the ball, the fact that people often purchase a ticket just to watch her play.Most importantly, her story is also about the way she became a role model for young girls in sports, one that she never had herself. Her story is one of a trailblazer.With misty eyes, a second quadruple and a head that could not possibly be held higher, Alexia did her signature bow for the last time in blaugrana colours as her story with FC Barcelona ended last week. Her legacy, however, has been etched in history. It will live on until the sport does.
