LONDON — Alexia Putellas is leaving FC Barcelona after 14 seasons, following a farewell ceremony held in her honor at Camp Nou on Wednesday, 27 May 2026. The club confirmed her departure after she helped secure a 4-0 victory over Lyon in the UEFA Women's Champions League final in Oslo on 24 May 2026, marking her fourth title in the competition with Barcelona.
During her tenure, Putellas appeared in 507 matches for Barcelona—the second-highest total in club history—and scored a record 232 goals. She won 38 trophies with the team, including domestic league titles and continental honors, and was instrumental in Barcelona’s first Champions League triumph in 2021. Putellas also claimed the Ballon d’Or in both 2021 and 2022, becoming the first woman to win the award in consecutive years.
Putellas arrived at Barcelona from Levante in 2012 at age 18 and became a central figure in the rise of women’s football in Spain. Despite suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear in July 2022 and considering a departure due to limited playing time during her recovery, she ultimately signed a contract extension and returned to help the team regain dominance.
“I always said I wanted my final moment to come while I was at my very best. It has been a perfect story,” Putellas said in a farewell Instagram post. She also reflected on the evolution of the sport, stating, “We’ve taken the women’s team further than we ever imagined. At the beginning, being a soccer player wasn’t even recognized as a profession. Now I feel privileged to have been part of this change.”
Barcelona interim president Rafael Yuste said he “loves her from the bottom of his heart.” Spanish journalist Irati Vidal said, “Alexia is more than a footballer here. She has become the image of women's football and made kids believe they can be a girl and also be a footballer.” Vidal also noted, “They opened the Camp Nou for Alexia. For Lionel Messi, they just had a room—and this was more emotional.”
While London City Lionesses are confident of signing Putellas and she attended one of their matches in January 2026, she has not confirmed her next club. Interest from teams in the United States has also been reported.