Despite suffering an ACL injury and sitting out the last few months of the season, Spain’s Alexia Putella had done enough to convince the judges to name her the world’s best female player – becoming the first woman to claim back to back Ballon d’Or titles.
Before being felled by injury in July, the Barcelona Women’s captain won the domestic league and was instrumental in taking her team to the EUFA Champions League final which they lost to Lyon.
But she missed out on the EUROs.
The 28-year old received her prize at a glittering ceremony that was attended by several stars held at the Chatelet Theatre in central Paris.
She scored an impressive 18 goals as Barca won all 30 of their league games.
An emotional Putellas fougth back tears in her acceptance speech, saying:
“It makes me even more annoyed to be injured, but I am very happy to be here. To retain the trophy is much harder. When I injured my knee I thought my chances of winning it had gone but in the end the jury based their decision on the whole of last season, of which I only missed one month.”
This is only the fourth time that the women’s Ballon d’Or has been awarded:
First in 2018 won by Ada Hegerberg of Norway with American Megan Rapinoe claiming the title the following year.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was no Ballon d’Or gala in 2020. Putellas played a crucial role in leading Barca to an historic EUFA Champions League success in 2021 and was duly crowned the Ballon d’Or winner.
This is her second major accolade this year after she scooped the UEFA Player of the Year award in August.
“Winning last year pushed me to want to be even better. Without my teammates, this wouldn’t have been possible. I want to thank the coaches and technical staff who help me to improve every day,’ added Putellas.
Full list of players and where they finished:
1. Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)
2. Beth Mead (Arsenal, England)
3. Sam Kerr (Chelsea, Australia)
4. Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg, Germany)
5. Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona, Sp)
6. Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg, Ger)
7. Ada Hegerberg (Lyon, Norway)
8. Wendie Renard (Lyon, France)
9. Catarina Macario (Lyon, USA)
10. Lucy Bronze (Man City/Barça, Eng)
11. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, Netherlands)
12. Christiane Endler (Lyon, Chile)
13. Alex Morgan (Orlando/San Diego, USA)
14. Selma Bacha (Lyon, Fr)
15. Millie Bright (Chelsea, Eng)
16. Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG, Fr)
17. Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona, Nga)
18. Trinity Rodman (Washington, USA)
19. Fridolina Rolfö (Barcelona, Sweden)
20. Kadidiatou Diani (PSG, Fr)
Ballon d’Or awards list
There were a total of seven awards that were handed out on Monday at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris for the 66th edition of the Ballon d’Or.
It was the first time that the Socrates Award was handed out.
The Gerd Muller Trophy and Club of the Year were awarded for the first time in 2021.
- Men’s Ballon d’Or (Player of the Year): Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
- Women’s Ballon d’Or (Player of the Year): Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
- Kopa Trophy (Best U-21 men’s player): Gavi (Barcelona)
- Yashin Trophy (Best men’s GK): Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
- Gerd Muller Trophy (Top scorer): Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
- Socrates Award (for player acts of solidarity): Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)
- Club of the Year (club with most Ballon d’Or nominees): Manchester City
