As FC Barcelona<\/b> Femen\u00ed prepares to face Olympique Lyonnais in the 2026 UEFA Women\u2019s Champions League final on May 23 at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, all eyes are on captain Alexia Putellas<\/b>. A victory for the Spanish giants could propel the two-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner toward her third prestigious individual accolade.<\/p>\n
Putellas, often called \u201cLa Reina<\/b>,\u201d has enjoyed a stellar 2025-26 campaign, bouncing back impressively from past injuries. She has contributed significantly with goals and assists across competitions, including a domestic treble. Reaching her 500th<\/b> appearance for Barcelona this season, the midfielder has been instrumental in guiding her team to another European final. Many analysts believe a strong performance and Champions League title in Oslo would make her the standout candidate for the 2026 Ballon d\u2019Or F\u00e9minin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Alexia Putellas previously won the Ballon d\u2019Or in 2021 and 2022, becoming the first Spanish woman to claim the honor and achieving back-to-back victories. Her return to peak form has reignited discussions about her place among the all-time greats in women\u2019s football.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A win against Lyon would allow Putellas to equal the three Ballon d\u2019Or titles of her Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmat\u00ed, who secured the award consecutively in 2023, 2024, and 2025 \u2014 a historic first for any female player. Bonmat\u00ed\u2019s dominance set a high bar, but Putellas\u2019 leadership, creativity in midfield, and big-game performances position her as a worthy successor in the conversation for 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This final marks another chapter in one of women\u2019s football\u2019s fiercest rivalries. Barcelona defeated Lyon in the 2024 final, with contributions from both Bonmat\u00ed and Putellas. Lyon, eight-time champions, remain a formidable opponent hungry for revenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Barcelona enters as favorites, boasting an unbeaten run in Europe this season. Putellas has been central to their success, delivering clutch moments. For the 32-year-old captain, lifting the trophy could not only deliver club glory but also cement her legacy on the individual stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the team trophy, the personal narrative is compelling. A Champions League triumph in Oslo could be the defining factor in Putellas securing her third Ballon d\u2019Or, matching Bonmat\u00ed\u2019s record and underscoring Barcelona\u2019s continued dominance in women\u2019s football.<\/p>\n Fans worldwide will be watching whether \u201cLa Reina\u201d delivers another masterclass. The 2026 final promises drama, skill, and potentially history-making moments for Alexia Putellas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As FC Barcelona Femen\u00ed prepares to face Olympique Lyonnais in the 2026 UEFA Women\u2019s Champions League final on May 23\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":502,"featured_media":52643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[5584,661,4057],"class_list":["post-52642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-alexia-puttelas","tag-barcelona","tag-top-stories"],"reading_time":"2 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/502"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52642"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52644,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52642\/revisions\/52644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Putellas\u2019 Legacy and the Bonmat\u00ed Benchmark<\/h3>\n
Barcelona vs Lyon: A Historic rivalry renewed<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s at Stake?<\/h3>\n