After 14 seasons at the club she loves, Alexia Putellas has announced her departure from FC Barcelona and bid farewell on a high note after winning her fourth Champions League title. Her leaving brings an end to a historic and enduring era.

Her impact goes far beyond the statistics. As a two-time Ballon d’Or winner and the player with the most official titles in the history of the Catalan club, Alexia was the driving force behind the professionalisation of women’s football in Spain.

She transformed a developing team into Europe’s leading force and inspired a whole generation of girls. Without a doubt, her legacy at the club of her life will be unforgettable and remembered for years to come.

To understand the magnitude of her legacy, we need to look back and trace her journey step by step. That is why we present 14 key moments that define Alexia Putellas’s 14 golden years at FC Barcelona.

The promise fulfilled (2012)

Her arrival in the first team. As she recalled in her farewell video, it was the moment she fulfilled her father’s greatest wish; he always said he would not leave this world without seeing her defend the colours of FC Barcelona.

That summer of 2012, an 18-year-old Alexia joined the club of her life after coming through the ranks at Espanyol and shining at Levante. It was much more than a strategic signing: it was an act of love.

Her father, Eli, who used to take her as a child to watch matches at Camp Nou with the Mollet del Vallès supporters’ club, had passed away shortly before. Wearing the Blaugrana shirt was the purest way to honour his memory, setting her on a path that would lead her to become the institution’s greatest icon.

The masterpiece at La Romareda (2013)

That spectacular goal in the Copa de la Reina final against Prainsa Zaragoza went viral and officially introduced her to the Spanish football scene.

At a time when women’s football was still struggling for television coverage, Alexia took it upon herself to grab the headlines with a Maradona-esque move. With a controlled first touch, an exquisite double step-over on a tile and a flawless finish, she proved that her talent was one of a generation.

That move secured the title for Barça and, at the same time, marked the first major media impact of a player destined to change the rules of football in Spain.

The driving force behind professionalism (2015)

The professionalisation of FC Barcelona Women. Alexia was an essential part of that transition which transformed an amateur team into an elite professional project. The move to professionalism meant leaving behind evening training sessions after work or study, to start living for and through football.

Alexia embraced this responsibility with a winning mentality and established herself as the role model at the Ciudad Deportiva. She understood before anyone else that talent was no longer enough and led the physical and tactical evolution that paved the way for the club’s future dominance in Europe.

The hard lesson of Budapest (2019)

The defeat against Olympique Lyonnais in the club’s first Champions League final. A heavy blow which, led by Alexia, they used to completely change the team’s mindset.

That 4-1 deficit in just 30 minutes was a reality check. However, rather than crumble, Alexia and the core of the dressing room made a silent pact on the pitch in Budapest.

The squad understood the physical and tactical gap separating them from the European elite and worked tirelessly to bridge it. That match, far from being a failure, served as a catalyst for the invincible team that would dominate the continent years later.

Making history at the Camp Nou (2021)

The historic match against Espanyol, in which Alexia scored the first women’s goal at the iconic Camp Nou stadium in the modern era. It took place on 6 January 2021, the day marking the 50th anniversary of the first match played by women on that very pitch.

The stadium was empty due to pandemic restrictions, but her header went down in history. It was poetic that it was she, of all people – the girl who dreamed of playing for the club – who had the honour of opening the scoring at the Camp Nou.

The Gothenburg sky (2021)

And then came the first Champions League title in Barça’s history. Alexia paved the way by scoring from the penalty spot in the final against Chelsea and lifted the trophy that changed history.

Playing with a bandage on her thigh due to physical discomfort that kept her in doubt until the last minute, Putellas put on a masterclass in leadership. She scored the second from the penalty spot and orchestrated the historic 4-0 victory.

Lifting that trophy as captain meant shattering the glass ceiling of Spanish football. Barça became kings of Europe, and she began to establish herself as ‘The Queen’.

The first world title (2021)

She won her first Ballon d’Or, becoming the global symbol of Spanish football and the first player from the country to achieve it. That gala in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet marked a turning point

Upon hearing her name, Alexia collected the highest individual honour and, at the same time, validated decades of struggle by Spanish female footballers. Her deeply emotional speech, in which she dedicated the award to her father, moved the whole world.

That golden night elevated her from football star to icon and absolute role model for millions of girls who, at last, had a poster of a female player to hang in their bedrooms.

World records on home soil (2022)

The magical Champions League matches where more than 91,000 spectators chanted her name at Camp Nou, a milestone that, as she herself admitted, she could never have imagined as a child.

First against Real Madrid (91,553 spectators) and then against Wolfsburg (91,648), the world witnessed an unprecedented social phenomenon. Seeing Barça’s stadium packed to the rafters, lit up by fans’ mobile phones and chanting in unison “Alexia, Alexia!”.

It was the culmination of her impact on society. She was the magnet that drew the crowds, demonstrating women’s football’s ability to be an incredible and thrilling spectacle.

The lowest point (2022)

The fateful anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear on the eve of the 2022 European Championship. A dark moment in which she found the club to be a refuge that ‘saved’ her when she was on the brink of collapse.

It happened in July, at the worst possible time, when she was at the absolute peak of her physical and footballing career. The injury threatened to take everything away from her. There followed months of pain, uncertainty and long, solitary sessions in the gym.

Despite this, Alexia has always highlighted the unconditional support of FC Barcelona. The club stood by her, providing both medical and psychological support, until they ensured a comeback worthy of her stature.

A historic golden double (2022)

Despite the serious injury, her spectacular previous season earned her a second consecutive Ballon d’Or, cementing her status as a living legend.

Walking towards the Ballon d'Or podium on crutches made her seem even more larger than life. Her statistics before breaking her knee had been out of this world: top scorer in the Champions League whilst playing as a midfielder and the undisputed leader of the domestic treble-winning side.

Winning the award again at her most vulnerable moment brought even greater recognition, as well as a vital boost of energy to face the gruelling rehabilitation that lay ahead.

The return to the top in Eindhoven (2023)

The end of her injury nightmare. She returned to the pitch in time to lift the club’s second Champions League trophy following an epic comeback against Wolfsburg.

After 300 days of torment, stepping onto the pitch in the final minutes of the 2023 Champions League final brought a definitive end to her darkest period.

Although her involvement in the game was brief, her presence on the pitch gave the team a massive morale boost to secure the 3-2 victory. Her tears of relief as she lifted the trophy with her teammates reflected the immense weight that had been lifted from her shoulders.

The decisive moment at San Mamés (2024)

Her unforgettable goal in the dying minutes against her great nemesis, Olympique Lyon, in the final in Bilbao to secure the third Champions League title.

If there was a dream script to avenge the ghosts of Lyon (Barça’s nemesis in Budapest and Turin), Alexia wrote it that afternoon. Coming off the bench, she received the ball in the box, finished with a powerful left-footed strike and sparked total madness.

Her celebration, taking off her shirt in front of the sea of Barça fans at San Mamés, is already one of the most iconic images in the history of Barça. It was the definitive confirmation that ‘La Reina’ had returned.

The all-time record (2026)

The moment when her statistics crowned her at the very pinnacle of the club’s history. She reached 38 official trophies and surpassed Leo Messi himself as the most decorated player in the history of FC Barcelona.

Surpassing Messi’s 35-title mark transcends mere statistics. It is the mathematical consecration of an era of absolute dominance. In practical terms, Alexia became an unattainable legend. Now, no one has won more titles than her at the club.

The farewell (2026)

The end of her era after 14 seasons, more than 500 matches and just days after thrashing Lyon (4-0) to win her fourth Champions League. An emotional video announcement in which she brought things full circle by asking the fans not to view her departure with sadness.

Leaving at the very top is a privilege reserved only for the chosen few. After another continental masterclass in winning her fourth European crown, Alexia chose her own terms to say goodbye.

Her message spoke of a deep mutual gratitude. The player bids farewell to make way for the legend of the girl who dreamed in the stands at Mollet and ended up rewriting the history of FC Barcelona.