Alexia Putellas, from FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, won the women’s Ballon d’Or

Midfielder Alexia Putellas, from FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, won the Women’s Ballon d’Or on Monday, which the magazine France Football delivered for the third edition, making it the second Spanish in history after the one won in 1960 by Luis Suárez.

Suárez’s is the only Spanish Ballon d’Or in the men’s category. But where Xavi Hernández or Andrés Iniesta did not arrive, another pure product of the Barça quarry did, Alexia Putellas.

The Spanish international, who received the Ballon d’Or from Kylian Mbappé, succeeds Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, the first ever laureate in history, in 2018, and American icon Megan Rapinoe (2019).

In 2020, the award was not awarded for the coronavirus pandemic. Behind Putellas, his Barcelona teammate Jenni Hermoso was in second place and third place was Chelsea’s Australian forward Sam Kerr.

In fourth place finished the Dutch Vivianne Miedema, from Arsenal, and fifth place went to another Barcelona player, the also Dutch Lieke Martens.

“I’m a little excited,” she said at the beginning of her speech after receiving the trophy, before thanking all her colleagues because “it is an individual award but a collective work.”

Dedicated to his father

“It is a very special moment, also for having here my colleagues with whom we have lived so much,” began her speech very emotional, referring to Hermoso, Irene Paredes or Sandra Paños, all nominees and players of Barcelona.

After the pertinent thanks to his family, friends, teammates and coaches, he had a memory for the Barça fans. “Just today, Barcelona celebrates its 122nd anniversary. Congratulations culés! ”.

And finally he had an emotional memory for his father, now deceased. “He is someone for whom, thanks to him, I am what I am. I hope you are very proud of your daughter wherever you are, ”she said before her mother and sister joined her on stage.

Her victory crowns an exceptional season, in which as captain she led Barça to a historic Champions-League-Cup treble, achieving a goal in the final of the great European competition against Chelsea (4-0).

Putellas, 27, started his career in Sabadell and signed for Espanyol before signing for Levante. In 2012 he joined Barcelona, ​​with whom he has won everything.

International since 2013, he was twice European Under-17 champion (2020 and 2011).