Barcelona women’s captain Alexia Putellas has announced she will leave the Catalan giants at the end of the season, bringing an emotional end to one of the most successful eras in women’s football.
The two-time Ballon d’Or winner confirmed on Tuesday that she would depart after 14 seasons with the club, describing her time at Barcelona as a “perfect story” that changed the landscape of women’s football in Spain and beyond.
Barcelona confirmed the development in an official statement, calling Putellas “the eternal captain” and announcing that the midfielder would receive a farewell tribute at Camp Nou ahead of Wednesday’s Liga F clash against Real Sociedad.
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Putellas, 32, leaves after helping Barcelona secure a fourth UEFA Women’s Champions League title on Saturday following victory over Lyon in Oslo, completing another dominant campaign for the Spanish side.
“The time has come to acknowledge that I’ve given everything for these colors,” Putellas said in a farewell video posted on Instagram.
“It’s been a perfect story.”
The Spain international played 507 matches for Barcelona and scored 232 goals, both among the highest figures in the club’s history. She won 38 trophies during her stay, including 10 Liga F titles and four Champions League crowns.
Putellas joined Barcelona in 2012 from Levante after beginning her career at Espanyol. Over the next decade, she became the face of the women’s team and one of the most influential figures in global women’s football.
Her rise coincided with the rapid growth of the women’s game in Spain. Putellas won back-to-back Ballon d’Or awards in 2021 and 2022 after inspiring Barcelona’s first-ever Women’s Champions League triumph and leading the club into a period of European dominance.
She also played a major role in Spain’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup success despite battling injury setbacks in recent years.
Beyond her achievements on the pitch, Putellas emerged as a leading voice during one of the biggest crises in Spanish football after former federation president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso without consent during the 2023 World Cup celebrations.
Putellas was among the senior players who led the protest movement that eventually triggered Rubiales’ resignation and intensified calls for reforms in Spanish football governance.
Reflecting on her legacy, Putellas said the women’s team had surpassed expectations and transformed perceptions around women’s football in Spain.
“When I was six years old, I only saw men playing in the stadium,” she said.
“It would never have occurred to me that one day more than 90,000 cules would be shouting my name.”
“At the beginning, being a footballer wasn’t even recognised as a profession. Now I feel privileged to have been part of this change.”
Spanish media reports have linked Putellas with a possible move to London City Lionesses, although no official announcement has been made regarding her next destination.
Her departure also comes amid uncertainty surrounding several Barcelona Women players whose contracts are set to expire this summer.
While Putellas prepares for her emotional farewell in Barcelona, many supporters now see her exit as the symbolic end of one of the greatest chapters in the history of women’s club football.
