Alexia Putellas has been named the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The Barcelona and Spain star finished ahead of England’s Euro 2022 hero Beth Mead and Germany’s powerhouse midfielder Lena Oberdorf.
Putellas is the first player to win the award twice in succession and joins Chelsea forward Pernille Harder in being a multiple-time winner.
The Spaniard earned 97 points in the voting, while Mead was second and ended up just 13 points behind the midfielder. Though Putellas enjoyed an outstanding domestic campaign, an ACL injury forced her to miss the Euros and there were questions over whether this would count against her.
Speaking after winning the award, the Barca star stressed how pleased she was to be honoured and that receiving the accolade motivates her to continue her recovery from injury. “I feel very happy to win this award for the second consecutive year, especially right at this moment,” she said. “Unfortunately, I’m not able to do what I love doing most [due to long-term injury], so being here again motivates me.