- Serious setback suffered in July 2022
- Long road to recovery taken in
- Now preparing for 2023 World Cup
WHAT HAPPENED? The Barcelona Femeni star, who is now a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, damaged knee ligaments when earning a 100th cap for her country on July 2, 2022. She was on target that day, in a friendly date with Italy, but saw an untimely knock rule her out of last summer’s European Championship and forced her onto the sidelines for the best part of 10 months. She returned to action towards the end of Barca’s Liga F and Champions League double-winning campaign, and has now recorded a stunning lobbed goal for Spain in a 7-0 demolition of Panama.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Putellas’ outing against Panama was her first for Spain since being forced to undergo surgery on a serious knee problem, but she showed that class is permanent when collecting a clipped pass and arching the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
WHAT NEXT? Putellas lasted 62 minutes on her return to international action and has been named in Spain’s preliminary squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – with La Roja due to open their quest for global glory Down Under against Costa Rica on July 21.