Alexia Putellas tore her ACL. ANP

Ballon d'Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas out 10-12 months due to ACL tear

By Adam Stites | Last updated 7/12/22

Barcelona star midfielder Alexia Putellas will miss 10-12 months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, ESPN reported Tuesday morning.

The injury is devastating for Barcelona, which won all 30 of its La Liga matches last season before losing in the Champions League final against Lyon. The surgery may also be trouble for Spain with the 2023 Women's World Cup set to begin in July 2023.

Stay strong, @alexiaputellas! You’ll come back as strong as ever! pic.twitter.com/EQ9v6SK6w1
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 5, 2022

Putellas, 28, won Ballon d'Or Féminin in 2021 and was named UEFA Women's Player of the Year and the Best FIFA Women's Player. She's the first to win all three awards in one year.

The injury occurred in training, days ahead of Spain's first game in UEFA's Women's Euro 2022. She confirmed the injury in an Instagram post last week, writing in Spanish that she'd miss the tournament but eventually return and finish what she started.

In Putellas' absence, Spain opened Euro 2022 with a 4-1 win against Finland. A tougher test is Tuesday against eight-time Euro champion Germany.

In the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Spain reached the knockout stage but lost in the Round of 16 against the eventual champion, the United States.

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