LONDON, Oct 27 : Four years ago, Alexia Putellas appeared untouchable, the dazzling Barcelona captain who became the first woman to win back-to-back Ballon d'Or Feminin awards.
Then came a devastating knee injury, months of rehabilitation and an uncomfortable question: had the world's best player already enjoyed her peak?
On Monday night, the answer was emphatic.
The Spanish midfielder reclaimed women's football's highest individual honour, winning a record-equalling third Ballon d'Or Feminin and joining compatriot Aitana Bonmatí as the only players to lift the trophy three times.
"All the boys and girls around the world, if you love football and if you want to play football, play football," she said in her acceptance speech. "It doesn't matter if you're a boy or if you're a girl. Doesn't matter where you come from. Don't listen if someone tells you, you can't do it. Believe in yourself."
For many players, the award would represent a crowning achievement. For 32-year-old Putellas, it felt more like a full-circle moment.
By the summer of 2022, she had established herself as the outstanding player in women's football, winning consecutive Ballon d'Or awards and leading Barcelona to the top of the European game, having won their first Champions League title in 2021.
Then everything came to a halt.
Days before Spain began their European Championship campaign, Putellas suffered a ruptured ACL, an injury that not only cost her the tournament but also threatened to alter the trajectory of her career.
Rehabilitation kept her out for almost a year and returning did not immediately mean returning to her best. She arrived at the 2023 Women's World Cup still searching for full fitness and later underwent further knee surgery after another setback.
REBUILD
For perhaps the first time in her career, Putellas was forced to chase the standards she had once set herself. As Barcelona continued to collect silverware and new names emerged, the spotlight shifted elsewhere.
Rather than accepting a supporting role, she rebuilt. Gradually the sharpness returned, then the confidence and, eventually, the influence that had made her the game's dominant player.
Last season was the clearest evidence yet. Putellas won her 10th Liga F title with Barcelona, in addition to her 10th Copa de la Reina, and fourth Champions League crown, scoring 20 goals in all competitions.
She moved to Women's Super League side London City Lionesses in July after 14 years at Barca, embracing the challenge of leading owner Michele Kang's insurgent outfit to disrupt the established order in England's top flight.
Putellas has also used her profile to help bring the women's game to new audiences, most notably through the launch of her YouTube channel, ElevenTV. The platform acquired rights to show WSL matches in Spain.
Monday's award was about more than another outstanding season. It was recognition of a journey back from the most serious challenge of her career and confirmation that one of the defining players of the modern era had reclaimed her place at the top.