Alexia Putellas speaks to English media after joining London City Lionesses
On 9 August 2026, Alexia Putellas addressed English media for the first time at a hotel in Maidstone, speaking at a press conference tied to the BBC Women's Football Weekly podcast as the summer signing for London City Lionesses.
Putellas, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2023 World Cup winner with Spain, spent 14 years at Barcelona after returning to the club in 2012. Born in Mollet del Valles, she watched matches at the Nou Camp as a child, attended summer camps run by Xavi, played for CE Sabadell, spent a year at La Masia before her girls' team was disbanded, and had spells at Espanyol and Levante prior to her long stint at Barca.
Her trophy haul with Barcelona totals 38, including 10 league titles and four European cups, and she claimed back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards in 2021 and 2022. Internationally she helped Spain to the 2023 World Cup and to a runners-up finish at Euro 2025; the BBC piece also noted she is favourite to win the Ballon d'Or again this year.
Putellas described her move to London City — which the BBC called the biggest signing in WSL history — as a new challenge that has required adaptation on and off the pitch. She has left Champions League football to join an independent, women's-only club in its infancy and was unveiled alongside owner Michele Kang in New York; social media reaction to her Barcelona departure and a mural by Italian artist TvBoy were cited as evidence of her global profile, and the BBC also noted she has 3.4m followers on Instagram.
On her aims with the club, Putellas said: "Both can live together, my mentality and the moment of the project. I'm going to bring to the project whatever it needs from me," adding, "I'm 100% committed. I'm hungry to win, I'm hungry to be better day after day and to fight with my team-mates for the victory." She also said her attention is on the first fixture: "It's all about Manchester United," and the season opener is scheduled for 4 September at 19:00 BST.
Eder Maestre, Putellas' manager at London City, told the BBC that she acts like a secondary coach on the training pitch and can shape the team's play. Putellas expanded on that idea in her interview: "In my opinion, if I give you a pass without speaking, you have information. That's one thing I learned in Barcelona," and she added, "If you understand what's happening in the game, you will get one step ahead of the opponents."
Putellas reflected on how an ACL injury before Euro 2022 changed her perspective: "Since the ACL injury, I enjoy everything. It's not enjoying just having fun, it's about learning something, and then I enjoy learning that thing." She also discussed everyday adjustments since moving to London — house-hunting, learning to drive and improving her English — saying: "I have been looking for an apartment. [It's] not cheap. Well, in Barcelona, it's not cheap as well!" and noting family visits and plans with teammate Jana Fernandez.
She conceded some aspects of English life remain unfamiliar, joking about an English breakfast: "I tried an English breakfast. It's quite different from Spain. [I didn't like] the beans, but the sausages and eggs... It was fine." Teammates and fellow professionals have warned her about the physicality of the WSL, and she relayed their message with humour: "Well, some of them told me that it's a hard league and they're going to kick me!" "No, I'm just joking..." she said.
London City were promoted to the WSL in 2025 and finished sixth in their top-flight debut last season, and the club has added other high-profile signings this summer, including Mapi León; Putellas said she wants to learn in England and "find where my limits are." Her debut for London City against Manchester United on 4 September (19:00 BST) will be her first competitive appearance for the club and is set to be the next major milestone in her move to the WSL.
