​Alexia Putellas has not returned home since early June. By the time she steps into The New York Times office in Manhattan, more than a month has slipped away in a haze of flights, hotel rooms, and shifting time zones. This is her final stop before she goes back home. “I am really tired,” the former Barcelona midfielder says as she settles into a corner room with a view of the edge of Times Square.
A summer of upheaval has unfolded in the life of the 32-year-old, bringing with it emotions she still needs to process. In May, Putellas claimed her fourth Champions League title, and just days later she bid farewell to the club she had spent the previous 14 seasons helping to grow. At that moment, what came next for her in football remained uncertain.
Her travels carried her to Venezuela, where devastating earthquakes struck while she was engaged in events for her Eleven Foundation and the Liga Monumental. She then headed to the United States, driven in part by a desire to catch Spain’s men’s team in World Cup action in Los Angeles. The day before our conversation, she was at the W Hotel in Union Square beside multi-club owner Michele Kang for her official unveiling as a London City Lionesses player.
During this transition, Putellas—twice awarded the Ballon d’Or—appeared different not in her appearance but in the manner she carries herself. Her smile comes more readily, and there is a quiet calm about her that feels almost serene. It’s as if she has closed one chapter and is ready to greet the next.
“I am at peace because I’ve chosen the best moment to leave something that any of us would never leave,” she says. “I understood that the option to continue was erasing everything that had happened before.”
Amid the bustle of New York outside her window, her composure stands in sharp contrast to the clamor of 8th Avenue as she contemplates her decision to depart Barcelona, restart in England, and why, despite everything she has accomplished, she still believes the most meaningful challenges lie ahead.
“It’s not about appearances; it’s about me,” she says. “I value knowing there is an end, and not clinging to the ego that says, ‘No, there’s no end for me.’”
Her reasoning centers on making choices that lead to happiness and new motivations, and on the belief that she has selected the best path to pursue new goals. That mindset, she says, is what drives her into the next chapter.
“When you’re nearing the end of your career—though I don’t know exactly when that will be, because I’d like to play until I’m 37 or 38—you need to discover new dreams and motivations, and explore something you haven’t done yet. I’m calm, at peace, and mentally prepared. I’m confident in what has worked for me throughout my career, and I take joy in doing it—the most important ingredient of all.”
Putellas has always been a formidable force on the field, a figure who has lived and breathed football for as long as memory serves. Her relentless drive and obsessive commitment have defined her, shaping a career defined by top performance and relentless pursuit of improvement. As she moves forward, she carries with her a clarity born of years of pushing boundaries and redefining what is possible for herself and for the sport she loves.