Alexia Putellas has won the Ballon d'Or Feminin for a record-equalling third time, extending Spain's grip on the prize to six years in a row.
The 32-year-old midfielder captained Barcelona to Champions League glory as part of a quadruple in 2025-26, then joined Women's Super League side London City Lionesses in July. She now sits level with her Spain teammate and former Barcelona colleague Aitana Bonmati on three awards. Putellas won in 2021 and 2022, and Bonmati took over in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Between them, the Spanish pair have won the last six editions. Before that run, only Norway's Ada Hegerberg in 2018 and Megan Rapinoe of the United States in 2019 had broken Spain's monopoly among recent winners.
The result completes a remarkable comeback for Putellas, who suffered a career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2022. Accepting the award, she sent a message to young players, telling every boy and girl who loves football to play it, whatever their gender or background, and not to listen to anyone who says they cannot do it. She urged them to believe in themselves.
Putellas collected the most votes from an international panel of journalists drawn from FIFA's top-50 ranked countries. Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor finished second and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw was third.
In the men's category, England captain Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English player to take the prize since Michael Owen in 2001.
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