Alexia Putellas: I am the best version of myself
After missing out on this competition three years ago, Alexia Putellas is well and truly making up for lost time in Switzerland.
She arrived at EURO 2025 on the back of her best individual campaign since an ACL injury that kept her sidelined for a lengthy spell.
In fact, her 16 goals and 11 assist return in 24/25 is the second-best outing of her career in the Primera Division overall.
Evidently, this is a player who is no stranger to stepping up in the big moments.
In Spain’s opening two games of Group B she has done exactly that, registering three goals and two assists in victories over Portugal and Belgium.
The second of these outings came with some difficulty, the tournament favourites pegged back twice by their Belgian counterparts before eventually cruising to all three points.
Alexia’s performances have gone far beyond being clinical in front of goal, grabbing each game by the scruff of its neck and leading the charge for a title she is eager to win.
It therefore begs the question: Is this the best version of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas?
She certainly thinks so.
“For me, without a doubt, I am the best Alexia,” she said at Spain’s pre-Euros camp.
“I know myself much better, I know what my qualities are, I know what those are in my work.
“All the suffering [injuries] at the end make you evolve as a person and as an athlete; I know how to manager bad moments better and I know to savour the good moments too.”
Putellas is playing with the confidence and fluidity that propelled her to stardom prior to that knee injury, with Spain the biggest beneficiaries.
A potential third Ballon d’Or could be on the horizon for the midfielder, who played talk of it down in the media.
For right now, her focus remains on fighting for the collective cause: EURO 2025.