Women's soccer star Alexia Putellas leaves Barcelona after 14 seasons

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MADRID (AP) — Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who has helped women's soccer grow in Spain and worldwide, is leaving Barcelona after 14 seasons.

Barcelona said Tuesday that Putellas will officially bid farewell at an event at Camp Nou stadium on Wednesday, giving the club a “chance to recognize the legacy created by a player who has become a role model on and off the field and who has helped women's football to grow across the globe.”

The 32-year-old Putellas on Saturday helped Barcelona win the Champions League title for the fourth time in six seasons.

There was no immediate announcement about her next move, with speculation in Spain that she may join the fast-emerging London City Lionesses. Putellas attended a Lionesses game in London in January.

Putellas played 507 games for Barcelona — second on the all-time list — since arriving at age 18 in 2012 from Levante, the Catalan club said.

Putellas scored 232 goals for Barcelona, a club record, and won 38 trophies, including four Champions Leagues and 10 Spanish league titles.

“The time has come to acknowledge that I’ve given everything for these colors,” Putellas said in a video posted on her social media accounts. "It’s been a perfect story.”

She was Barcelona's best player when it won its first Champions League in 2021 and helped put women’s soccer in Spain on the global map when she won back-to-back Ballon d’Or awards in 2021 and 2022. Her boost to the sport was considered key to helping Spain win the 2023 World Cup.

When Spain was embroiled in crisis after its then soccer federation president Luis Rubiales kissed a player without consent during the World Cup awards ceremony, it was Putellas who led the player revolt that prompted his downfall.

“We’ve taken the women’s team further than we ever imagined,” Putellas said. “At the beginning, being a soccer player wasn’t even recognized as a profession. Now I feel privileged to have been part of this change.”

Serious leg injuries put her star status in doubt for Barcelona and Spain. She was sidelined for months and, when she returned to the field, she was reported to be considering a move from Barcelona due to her limited playing time but eventually signed a contract extension.

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