Champions without Alexia Putellas, the Catalan joins London City

A Champions without Alexia Putellas was announced this week when the UEFA Women’s Champions League confirmed that the Catalan midfielder, who this summer left FC Barcelona to join the London City Lionesses, will not take part in the current edition of the tournament, ending an uninterrupted presence of fifteen seasons.

Champions trajectory

Alexia Putellas made her debut in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on 26 September 2012 against Arsenal, after returning to Barcelona from Levante. Since then, her name has been present in every edition, accumulating 90 matches, 32 goals and 23 assists. In the 2025/26 campaign, she topped the scoring chart with 11 goals, setting a record of 14 direct contributions (seven goals and seven assists) in a single season.

With Barcelona, Putellas won four Champions League titles (2020/21, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2025/26). In the 2025/26 edition, lifting the cup as captain, the team beat OL Lyonnes 4‑0 in the Oslo final. She was also named player of the season in 2020‑21, 2021‑22 and in the latest campaign, and was the top scorer of an edition with 11 goals. Her legacy includes scoring in three finals and being the first Barcelona player to lift the trophy as captain.

This summer, the Catalan ended a fourteen‑year spell at FC Barcelona to sign with the London City Lionesses. Her move to the English club is her first experience outside Spain and places her outside the Champions qualification spots. With London City, Putellas will not be able to compete in the current edition of the tournament, despite her record in the competition.

Champions format 2026‑27

The UEFA Women’s Champions League 2026‑27 will feature eighteen teams that will contest the league phase between 22 September and 16 December. Putellas’ absence makes this edition the first without her presence in fifteen consecutive seasons. Kin Cheung noted that the competition is starting a new European era without the figure who had been a constant protagonist.

During her fourteen years of participation, Putellas became Barcelona’s top scorer and the player with the most appearances in the Champions. Her departure from the tournament leaves a void that is hard to match and opens the way for emerging new stars to shape the competition’s history.

The Champions kicks off without the player who lifted the trophy four times and who scored in three finals, marking the start of an era without the Catalan influence. Fans will watch how the tournament evolves without the constant who for more than a decade dominated the European scene.