Alexia Putellas is back.

Nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or and embarking on a new and important chapter in her career following her move to the London City Lionesses, the Catalan midfielder is once again competing at the very top level of world football.

However, to regain her full form, she had to overcome the toughest physical and psychological challenge of her life.

In July 2022, whilst at the very pinnacle of her career as the reigning Ballon d'Or winner and captain of FC Barcelona, she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee just before the European Championship.

A moment that brought her career to a complete standstill.

The impact of coming to a sudden halt

Going from the peak of her performance to total immobility was a devastating blow.

Whilst media attention shifted to the continental tournament, Alexia began a solitary rehabilitation programme amid stretchers, ice packs and double gym sessions.

In an interview with the British newspaper 'The Guardian', the footballer herself recalled those first moments after the injury.

“I knew the moment it happened. I heard a sound like a branch snapping. ‘No, not now.’ You never expect it… It wasn’t my knee that hurt, it was my soul,” she confessed.

And in the same vein, she explained: “People don’t realise that with injuries you train harder than when you’re fit, but you don’t get the reward of playing. At first there’s nothing. Just pain. And I was in a lot of pain.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I had no appetite. It was a vicious circle. You go from playing at a stratospheric level to not being able to walk, having to learn all over again at the age of 27 or 28,” she described. It was a difficult time.

The Ballon d’Or as mental fuel

Four months after undergoing surgery, Alexia travelled to Paris to receive her second consecutive Ballon d'Or award for her 2021–22 season.

Far from being merely a glamorous awards ceremony, the prize served as a commitment to her own recovery. That applause at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in a way, motivated her to come back stronger.

With the trophy in her hands, Putellas made clear the goal that had sustained her through the darkest mornings of behind-the-scenes hard work.

“I hope that the next time I have to speak, it will be on the pitch, which is where I like to be,” promised the Catalan player.

Tactical reinvention and maturity

Being cleared to return to action did not mean an automatic return to her previous level. Patience became her main tool for accepting that her body needed time to readjust.

In her comments to The Guardian, reflecting on that adjustment was key: “I learnt a lot about the injury, about my body, about my mindset...”

“I learnt to be more patient, something I didn’t have before. The day you’re given the all-clear and return to play, it’s not all over yet. You don’t think you’ll go back to being exactly the same… That’s not realistic,” she argued.

That realisation led her to evolve on the pitch. By adjusting her physical output, she enhanced her tactical intelligence: she sharpened her reading of spaces, her control of the tempo and her vision between the lines.

She stopped relying solely on explosive power and began to dominate the game through positioning and authority.

The triumph of resilience

That maturity bore fruit. Her leadership proved pivotal in the Spanish national team’s victory at the 2023 World Cup, and she definitively marked the end of her recovery period by scoring a decisive goal in the 2024 Champions League final in Bilbao.

Today, nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or and spearheading a new sporting project in London, Alexia Putellas demonstrates that her personal evolution following her injury has ultimately shaped her into a more complete footballer:

“I’m a better Alexia now; all that suffering makes you grow.”