Alexia Putellas became the first female player to make 100 appearances for Spain, and she celebrated that feat by scoring in a 1-1 friendly draw with Italy. The 28-year-old made her La Roja debut in 2013 and, less than a decade later, won her century cap in Castel di Sangro on July 1.
The 28-year-old follows in the footsteps of several of her international male contemporaries, but she is the only woman in her country to make history.
“I am very happy because it is something that I never thought would happen. A lot of work of all kinds, many years. I am very happy to reach this figure. I hope there are many more and that they come accompanied by titles,”
she said, as per Marca.
Following the confirmation of her vital cap, head coach Jorge Vilda was quick to praise his star, citing her drive and intellectual understanding of the game as key strengths to her longevity near the top of the sport.
“She’s young and, best of all, is passionate about football and understands it very well, which is not something every player has. She has so much quality, sees things before others and executes everything with pace and style.”
Putellas established herself as a true member of the world elite in 2021, and she shows no signs of slowing down in 2022. She became Barcelona’s first player to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League in May. Alexia won an unprecedented treble of individual awards, including UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, FIFA Women’s Best Player, and the Ballon d’Or Feminin.
First capped at the age of 15, Putellas a member of the Spain teams that won the UEFA European Women’s U17 Championship titles in 2010 and 2011, as well as bronze in the 2010 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
She led Spain to the 2012 UEFA European Women’s U19 Championship final, where they were defeated by Sweden in extra time. Putellas earned her first senior cap against Denmark in June 2013 as a result of her youth performances. The next day, she was named to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2013 squad, and as a substitute, she forced Spain’s winner in the opening 3-2 defeat of England.
