Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas has lifted the Ballon d'Or Feminin 2022, retaining her title as the best female footballer on the planet
(Image credit: David Ramos - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Alexia Putellas has won the Ballon d'Or Feminin 2022, making it two years in a row that she's been voted for the prize.
This is just the fourth year that the prize has been awarded to women's players, making Putellas the first female footballer to have won multiple Ballons d'Or. Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural prize, back in 2018.
Megan Rapinoe picked up the second women's Ballon d'Or in 2019, after winning the World Cup with the United States, with Putellas' new Barcelona team-mate Lucy Bronze claiming silver that year. Chelsea forward Pernille Harder was given the nod by FourFourTwo in 2020 when the official BdO prize was scrapped because of COVID-19.
Ballon d'Or 2022: Alexia Putellas' year
Alexia Putellas of Spain poses for a portrait during the official Women's Euro 2022 portrait session in Marlow, England. (Image credit: Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Despite winning the Ballon d'Or Femenin and being the outstanding player in the women's game this calendar year, 2022 was not without its struggles for Putellas.
The Spaniard lost the Champions League final with Barcelona, who were favourites, as Lyon ran out 3-1 winners. Putellas did captain Barça, however, and scored the consolation goal for her side.
The 28-year-old was then ruled out of Euro 2022 on the eve of the tournament, after suffering an ACL tear of her left leg, which caused her to miss the entire tournament. It is likely she will miss the whole of this season, too.
(Image credit: Getty)
Despite this, there have been high points to her year. In July she became the first Spanish woman to reach 100 caps with the national team in a friendly match against Italy, while her league season with Barça ended with 18 goals and a league-best 15 assists – as the Blaugrana had a perfect, wins-only season to lift another title. Putellas finished as Europe's highest-scoring midfielder with 34 goals in all competitions.
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
