- Award recognises most outstanding performer in women’s game from 7 August 2021 to 31 July 2022
- Putellas scored 34 goals across all competitions last season
- Winner announced at The Best FIFA Football Awards on 27 February 2023
Alexia Putellas has won The Best FIFA Women’s Player award for the second successive year. The Spain midfielder has been rewarded for an exceptional 2021/22 season in which she captained Barcelona to a domestic treble and a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. Putellas topped the vote ahead of finalists Beth Mead and Alex Morgan. The award was voted for by national team coaches and captains as well as expert journalists and supporters worldwide.
The winner in focus
Midfield maestro Putellas performed at an extraordinary level in 2021/22.
Putellas’ creativity and goalscoring prowess often makes her the difference-maker in games, and she was the driving force as the Catalans won a clean sweep of domestic trophies and finished as Champions League runners-up.
The Spaniard is a supreme technician, with her varied passing range allowing her to dictate the tempo of matches. The Barcelona captain’s world-class displays and inspiring leadership helped the club win all 30 of their Primera Division matches last season.
She also shone on the European stage, finishing as the top scorer in the 2021/22 Women’s Champions League with 11 goals. Across all competitions last season, the midfielder netted 34 times.
An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury cruelly deprived Putellas of the chance to display her talents at the Women’s EURO 2022 and the 29-year-old is currently continuing her rehabilitation programme. In winning the 2022 Best Women’s Player award, Putellas has become the first person to be honoured with the prize for two consecutive years.
Putellas’ standout moments
Putellas combined elite quality and wonderful ingenuity to score with a stunning spin-and-volley in a Champions League victory over Danish side Koge last season.
A Putellas-inspired Barcelona swept aside fierce rivals Real Madrid in the 2021/22 Champions League quarter-finals. Barça did the damage in the first leg at Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano, with Putellas completing the scoring in a 3-1 victory with this expert finish.
Putellas made Spanish national team history in 2022, becoming the first female player to make 100 appearances for the nation. She marked the occasion with a goal in a 1-1 friendly draw with Italy.
What they said about Putellas…
“I started watching women’s football when I turned eight or nine and, back then, I noticed Alexia Putellas. She’s a role model up to now. She’s the best in the world.” Claudia Pina, Spain and Barcelona team-mate
“Alexia is a role model for Barça. She displays what a club wants to display.” Andres Iniesta, Barcelona men’s team legend
“You can see the importance of her to this team, even when she’s in and around the gym or when we come into the physio room in the morning. She has this presence and you can see how much the team respects her.” Keira Walsh, Barcelona team-mate
How The Best FIFA Women’s Player winner was decided
- Fourteen players were initially nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Player award, having been chosen by a panel of experts.
- From this shortlist, votes were cast by women’s national team coaches, women’s national team captains, football journalists, and fans who voted on FIFA’s official website. Voters made their first, second and third choices for the winner.
- Points were given to nominees depending on where they were placed (five points for first, three for second and one for third).
- Nominated national team captains could not vote for themselves.
- Selections from the four voting groups – coaches, captains, journalists, and fans – each counted for 25 per cent of the total vote, irrespective of the number of voters from each group.
- The Best FIFA Women’s Player award was presented to the individual with the most points.
The voting procedure for The Best FIFA Women’s Player award was supervised by independent observers.
Source: FIFA.com
