Alexia Putellas, 32, won a record-equalling third women's Ballon d'Or at the London Palladium on 26 October, ahead of Ewa Pajor, with Barcelona taking most of the major women's prizes, according to The Guardian.
Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d'Or for a record-equalling third time at the London Palladium on Monday 26 October 2026, the same night Harry Kane took the men's prize. France 24 and Reuters both reported the double, and UEFA published the winners' reactions and acceptance speeches in a video. At 32, Putellas ended a four-year wait for the award, according to The Guardian.
The Guardian reports that Putellas' return from the anterior cruciate ligament injury she suffered in 2022 was central to the vote. Last season she contributed eight goals and six assists in 11 Women's Champions League appearances, a competition-leading 14 goal contributions, as Barcelona won the European title, and she also starred as Spain won the Women's Nations League finals last December. Poland's Ewa Pajor finished second, Jamaica's Khadija Shaw third and Haiti's Melchie Dumornay fourth, the newspaper says.
In her acceptance speech Putellas said, "This prize is for Barcelona," the club where she spent 14 years before joining London City Lionesses. The Guardian adds that Barcelona also collected the goalkeeper prize through Cata Coll, the coach award through Pere Romeu and the young player award through Vicky Lopez. The video attached to this article shows the official ceremony reactions and speeches published by UEFA; it is footage of the event itself, not archive material.
