Barcelona midfielder has won the Guardian’s vote for the best female footballer in 2021 but her journey has not been straightforward
If you have ever been to Mollet del Vallés, a small town 25 kilometres outside Barcelona, you will know it lacks the grandeur and splendour of Catalonia’s capital. There is no Gaudí spontaneously popping up as you walk down its streets or stunning Gothic cathedrals looking down on you. But Mollet has something
Barcelona cannot compete with – it has the honour of being the home and first training ground of the best female footballer in the world, Alexia Putellas.
Born in Mollet del Vallés in 1994, Putellas played her first games in a square next to the town hall, the only girl among all the boys. Her story has always been undeniably linked to Barcelona, the club closest to her heart, but her journey to becoming their most renowned female player has not been straightforward.