Alexia Putellas eyes redemption at Euro 2025

Alexia Putellas will stride into Switzerland this July with the determination of a champion and the hunger of a player who still has a score to settle with the European Championship stage. Three years ago, a cruel ACL rupture robbed her of the chance to light up Euro 2022. Now, Spain’s captain returns as the reigning Ballon d’Or favourite and the beating heart of a side intent on turning last year’s World Cup triumph into a continental crown.

Alexia Putellas and the long road back

The primary focus keyword, Alexia Putellas, has become synonymous with resilience. Her 2022 injury came just 24 hours before Spain’s opener and ended a season in which she delivered 34 goals and 22 assists for Barcelona. Surgery, nine gruelling months of rehabilitation and countless hours in the gym followed. When she finally stepped back on the pitch, the Catalan maestro gradually rediscovered her rhythm, using controlled minutes in Liga F and the Champions League to rebuild confidence.

Why Euro 2025 matters to Alexia Putellas

For Putellas, Euro 2025 is about more than medals. It is the last major honour missing from her glittering résumé. After tasting quarter-final pain in 2017 and watching from the sidelines in 2022, she is determined to rewrite history. Her presence alone transforms La Roja’s attacking patterns, knitting midfield to forward line with the vision and precision only she can offer.

Form leading into the tournament

• Club: 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for Barcelona this season
• Fitness: Completed 90 minutes in nine of the last 10 matches, clear evidence the knee is no longer managed cautiously
• Accolades: Named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year finalist and Liga F MVP

Spain’s tactical evolution around their talisman

Coach Montse Tomé has built a flexible 4-3-3 that pivots on Putellas. Whether deployed as a left-sided No. 8 or a false nine, she dictates tempo, drifts into half-spaces and frees Aitana Bonmatí to surge forward. Expect full-backs Ona Batlle and Olga Carmona to overlap aggressively, confident that Putellas will retain possession under pressure and find line-breaking passes into Jenni Hermoso or Salma Paralluelo.

Key match-ups to watch

1. Group opener vs Portugal: Putellas faces club colleague Andreia Norton, whose pressing will test her turning radius post-injury.
2. Showdown with Germany: Lena Oberdorf’s physicality promises a midfield duel of contrasting styles.
3. Potential knockout against England: The Lionesses still remember the quarter-final scare in 2022; Putellas wants to finish the job this time.

Legacy on the line for Alexia Putellas

Add Euro 2025 success to her CV and Putellas joins a rarified tier inhabited by legends like Birgit Prinz and Marta. Off the field, her advocacy for equal pay and better conditions has already elevated the women’s game in Spain. On the field, another statement tournament can inspire the next generation and cement Barcelona’s academy pipeline as Europe’s finest.

Stat attack: how Putellas changes Spain’s numbers

• Passes into the final third increase by 24% when she starts
• Spain’s xG rises from 1.6 to 2.3 with her on the pitch
• Possession recoveries in the middle third jump by 11%, highlighting her pressing intelligence

What teammates are saying

Aitana Bonmatí: “Alexia makes the complicated look simple. Her return gives everyone confidence.”
Ona Batlle: “When she speaks, you listen. When she plays, you learn.”
Irene Paredes: “The fire in her eyes since that injury is scary—in the best possible way.”

Could Euro 2025 crown Alexia Putellas again?

If Spain lift the trophy and Putellas performs anywhere near her current level, a third consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin is almost inevitable. Voters value big-tournament moments, and Switzerland offers a perfect stage. A golden boot challenge is not out of the question either; she is Spain’s penalty-taker and arrives in prolific form.

Opinion: the final piece of the puzzle

Putellas has already conquered club football and tasted global glory, but true immortality beckons in Switzerland. Should she guide Spain to the title, the narrative arc—from injury heartbreak to European champion—will stand among sport’s greatest comebacks. My view? Bet on her completing the circle; few athletes pair elite talent with such unshakeable resolve.