Alexia Putellas Wins Record-Equalling Third Ballon d’Or

Alexia Putellas Wins Record-Equalling Third Ballon d’Or

Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas has won the women’s Ballon d’Or for a record-equalling third time, at the 2026 ceremony held at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26. According to the BBC’s report, carried by Adomonline, the 32-year-old’s win keeps the prize in Spanish hands for a sixth consecutive year.

Result and votes

Adomonline reports that Putellas collected the most votes from an international panel of journalists across the top 50 countries in the FIFA rankings. Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor finished second and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw third, according to the BBC and The Athletic.

Her third award ties her with Aitana Bonmatí for the most women’s Ballon d’Or wins, according to Business Standard and Yahoo Sports. Business Standard adds that Barcelona players have won six of the eight women’s Ballons d’Or awarded between 2018 and 2026. USA Today adds that it also matches the three men’s Ballon d’Or wins of Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Johan Cruyff.

Her season

The BBC, as carried by Adomonline, reports that Putellas, nicknamed “La Reina,” captained Barcelona to Champions League glory as part of a quadruple. She scored 21 goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions, ranking third and second respectively among players in Europe’s top five leagues, the BBC says. Seven of those goals came in the Champions League.

USA Today reports that Putellas also had seven assists as Barcelona won a fourth Women’s Champions League title in 2025-26. It says she captained the team to a 4-0 final win over Lyon, won the UWCL Player of the Season award and scored nine goals as Barcelona won Liga F for a seventh consecutive season.

The Athletic reports that she has also scored three times in the WSL this season, and scored and assisted in Spain’s 2-2 draw with the United States in October.

Bonmatí’s absence

Putellas had previously won in 2021 and 2022. Yahoo Sports reports that a cruciate ligament injury in July 2022 forced her to miss the European Championship and most of the next club season. Bonmatí, her compatriot, won the next three Ballons d’Or, according to Yahoo Sports.

The Athletic says Bonmatí’s hopes of retaining the award ended when she suffered a transverse fracture of her left fibula in November 2025. The AP, via Around Prague, says she was not on this year’s shortlist. Reports differ on when the injury happened, with the AP citing December.

Quick timeline:

2021 and 2022: Putellas wins her first two Ballons d’Or.
July 2022: She suffers a cruciate ligament injury.
2023 to 2025: Bonmatí wins three straight awards.
October 26, 2026: Putellas wins her third.

What happens next

USA Today says next year’s women’s prize will also consider the 2027 Women’s World Cup, in addition to events between summer 2026 and spring 2027. The sources reviewed do not say whether Putellas has commented on the win. Readers should check the official Ballon d’Or website for the full rankings.