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Player Analysis

Alexia Putellas, Attacking midfielder

Came through Barcelona's youth system from age 7. Now the captain and totem of the most successful women's club side ever. Won back-to-back Ballon d'Or in 2021 and 2022 before an ACL rupture cost her a year, returned to win the 2023 World Cup.

Career goals 260+
Ballon d'Or 2 (2021, 2022)
Champions League 3
Spain caps 120+
World Cup Winner 2023
Liga F titles 10+
Training style

Built around possession intelligence and post-injury durability. Putellas's training reputation is for being the captain everyone follows even when she is rehabilitating. She made her ACL year a public masterclass in modern recovery, and the team adopted her protocols.

From first kick to today
Alexia Putellas

Alexia Putellas

Attacking midfielder · FC Barcelona

Two Ballon d'Ors. Spanish football's most decorated woman.

Born 1994, Mollet del Vallès, Spain
Country Spain
Instagram @alexiaputellas Club FC Barcelona Femení
The Journey

From first kick to today

The moments and decisions that shaped Putellas’s career.

  1. Local football in Mollet

    Started in a boys' team in Mollet del Vallès because no girls' team existed in her town. Her father Jaume drove her to every training and match.

    Key point
    Started young in mixed-gender football. Family fully behind her.
    Interesting fact
    Her father Jaume died of a heart attack when Alexia was 18. She has dedicated every Ballon d'Or trophy to him. The right side of her chest has a tattoo with his birth and death dates.
    What to copy
    The early support of one parent or guardian can shape a 30-year career. Honour them publicly.
    Sources El País: Putellas family profile

  2. Sabadell academy

    First proper academy at Sabadell. Recognised early as the best technical kid in her year, and the only girl in the boys' setup at u12 level.

    Key point
    Played up an age group consistently from u12.
    Interesting fact
    Her u14 coach at Sabadell once asked her parents to consider sending her to Italy where mixed-gender football was permitted longer. The family stayed in Catalonia, and Putellas later said this was the right call, the Catalan technical environment was unique.
    What to copy
    Don't chase a different country if your local environment has the right technical depth. Stay near home if the level is there.
    Sources Mundo Deportivo: Sabadell youth archive

  3. Espanyol senior debut

    Made her Liga F debut for Espanyol at 16. Played 2 seasons there before a brief stint at Levante and then her childhood-dream move to Barcelona.

    Key point
    Senior football at 16. Held her own against grown women.
    Interesting fact
    She was 16 when her father Jaume died of a sudden cardiac arrest. She played her next match (three days later) and scored. She has said the goal felt like 'a goodbye'. Espanyol's manager publicly called it 'the bravest thing I've seen on a pitch'.
    What to copy
    Grief and football are not separate. Sometimes playing through it is part of how you process it.
    Sources Marca: Putellas family tragedy

  4. Barcelona signing

    Signed by Barcelona Femení in 2012. Her childhood club. Has not left since. 13 seasons and counting.

    Key point
    Signed for her boyhood club at 18 and never left.
    Interesting fact
    She arrived at Barcelona's training base in Sant Joan Despí on her first day with her childhood Barcelona kit folded in her bag. She wore it under her training kit for the first session, a private superstition. She has done the same on every Champions League final day since.
    What to copy
    Carry a personal ritual through your career. Mine is yours.
    Sources FC Barcelona: Putellas signing

  5. First Ballon d'Or

    Won the first Women's Ballon d'Or for a Spanish player. Voted into the team of the year. Spain's first Ballon d'Or in either men's or women's football.

    Key point
    Spain's first ever Ballon d'Or, at 27.
    Interesting fact
    Her acceptance speech mentioned her late father Jaume, then her teammates, then her childhood Sabadell coach. She has said she rehearses every speech with that order, in case the emotion takes over and she forgets her words.
    What to copy
    Rehearse the moments that matter. The emotion is real, the preparation makes the words land.
    Sources France Football: 2021 Ballon d'Or

  6. ACL injury (then second Ballon d'Or)

    Ruptured her ACL on the eve of Euro 2022, in the warm-up of England's group match. Spain played without her and exited at the QF. She watched from a Catalonia hospital. Won the 2022 Ballon d'Or two months later, voted on the strength of the prior year.

    Key point
    Tore her ACL the night before her own Euros. Won the Ballon d'Or two months later from a sofa.
    Interesting fact
    Her ACL surgeon was Dr Ramón Cugat, the same surgeon who operated on Iniesta and Xavi. Cugat has said in interviews that Putellas's recovery was 'the most disciplined patient I have had in 40 years'.
    What to copy
    How you handle a year out defines the next decade. Putellas's recovery year added five years to her peak.
    Sources Marca: Putellas ACL

  7. World Cup champion

    Started in midfield as Spain won the 2023 World Cup, beating England 1-0 in the final. The trophy completed her medal collection. The federation crisis after the final defined the year as much as the football.

    Key point
    World Cup winner less than 12 months after returning from ACL.
    Interesting fact
    After the final whistle, she sat alone on the pitch for 90 seconds before celebrating. Sky Sports' Spanish-language coverage caught her saying 'Para mi padre' (for my father). She has not spoken publicly about that moment.
    What to copy
    Big moments deserve solitude before celebration. Take the 90 seconds. The party will still be there.
    Sources FIFA archive: 2023 final

  8. Olympic silver

    Spain reached their first ever Olympic women's football final at Paris 2024. Lost 1-0 to Germany. Putellas captained Spain through the tournament, missed Germany only on a goalkeeping moment.

    Key point
    First Olympic medal for Spanish women's football.
    Interesting fact
    After Spain's silver-medal ceremony, she gave her medal to Jenni Hermoso, whose 2023 abuse case had defined the federation's last 18 months. The gesture went viral. Hermoso later said she has worn it once, on the day Luis Rubiales was convicted in court.
    What to copy
    Solidarity with teammates is a long game. The right gesture at the right moment can echo for years.
    Sources Olympics archive: Paris 2024
Club History

Where Putellas has played

Each move is a decision. The pattern is the lesson.

  1. S
    2005 to 2010

    Sabadell

    11 to 16
  2. E
    2010 to 2012

    Espanyol

    16 to 18
  3. L
    2011 to 2012

    Levante

    17 to 18
  4. FC Barcelona
    2012 to present

    FC Barcelona

    18+
Daily Training

How Putellas trains

Five pillars he keeps consistent across the week. Click each to expand.

Diet Mediterranean structure, ~2,900 kcal in season. Heavy emphasis on anti-inflammatory food after her ACL year. Bone broth, oily fish, leafy greens.
  • Protein 30%
  • Carbs 52%
  • Fat 18%

Some of the foods Putellas eats most. Hover for protein / carb / fat (per 100g).

Salmon
Sweet potato
Broccoli
Olive oil
Whole grain pasta
Eggs
Bone broth
Spinach
Almonds
Berries
Salmon
Sweet potato
Broccoli
Olive oil
Whole grain pasta
Eggs
Bone broth
Spinach
Almonds
Berries
Sources
Sleep & health 9 to 10 hours overnight. Strict bedtime by 10pm in season. Tracks sleep with a Whoop strap since 2020.

9 to 10 hours overnight. Strict bedtime by 10pm in season. Tracks sleep with a Whoop strap since 2020.

Sources
Strength training 4 sessions per week post-ACL. Heavy single-leg work, Nordic hamstring curls, glute-ham raises. Holds 64 kg lean. The strength rebuild after her injury is now permanent.

4 sessions per week post-ACL. Heavy single-leg work, Nordic hamstring curls, glute-ham raises. Holds 64 kg lean. The strength rebuild after her injury is now permanent.

Sources
Pitch work Daily rondos, plus 20 minutes of late-run-into-the-box reps after team training. The arrival timing is her signature.

Daily rondos, plus 20 minutes of late-run-into-the-box reps after team training. The arrival timing is her signature.

Sources
Recovery Daily mobility, contrast showers, weekly massage. Has spoken about the depression she fought during the ACL year and now does cognitive therapy weekly.

Daily mobility, contrast showers, weekly massage. Has spoken about the depression she fought during the ACL year and now does cognitive therapy weekly.

Sources

A day in the life

In-season weekday. The discipline, hour by hour.

  1. 07:30 wake Wake + 10 min mobility
  2. 08:00 diet Breakfast: oats, eggs, berries
  3. 09:30 wake Drive to Sant Joan Despí
  4. 10:00 strength Pre-training mobility + film
  5. 11:00 pitch Team training
  6. 13:00 diet Lunch: salmon, sweet potato, broccoli
  7. 14:00 sleep Nap (~60 min)
  8. 15:30 pitch Late-arrival reps + finishing
  9. 17:00 strength Strength session (Nordics + glutes)
  10. 18:30 recovery Therapy session (weekly)
  11. 20:00 diet Dinner: bone broth, fish, vegetables
  12. 22:00 sleep Lights out
Skills Over Time

Putellas’s game, year by year

Slide through the career. The shape changes, power up, raw pace down, mentality climbing.

    20142018202120222024
    Sources FIFA EA SPORTS player ratingsWhoScored advanced metrics
    What young players can copy

    From Putellas’s playbook to ours

    Five takeaways from Spanish football's most decorated woman, who came back from a torn ACL to win the World Cup.

    Pitch work 01

    Late-arrival reps every day

    Putellas's defining skill is timing her arrival in the box. She drills it for 20 minutes after every session, with a coach holding a stopwatch.

    The Matico approach

    Our u11 to u14 attacking-mid drills include a structured 'late arrival' block with shouted cues.

    Strength 02

    Nordic hamstring curls from u14

    After tearing her ACL, Putellas added Nordic hamstring curls to every gym session. The single most evidence-based exercise for ACL prevention.

    The Matico approach

    Our u14 strength curriculum includes Nordics weekly. Bodyweight first, banded later.

    Sleep 03

    Track it, don't guess

    She uses a Whoop strap to track sleep nightly. The data tells her when to push and when to back off.

    The Matico approach

    We give parents a simple sleep diary template. No need for a Whoop, paper works.

    Diet 04

    Anti-inflammatory food after injury

    After her ACL, she added oily fish, bone broth, leafy greens, anti-inflammatory food. The recovery was visibly faster than the prognosis.

    The Matico approach

    Our parent handbook covers post-injury nutrition. Iron, omega-3, vitamin D, calcium.

    Recovery 05

    Mental health is part of recovery

    She has spoken openly about the depression she fought during the ACL year, and the therapy she now does weekly.

    The Matico approach

    We talk to parents about mental health from u11 onwards. It's part of the conversation, not separate.

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