Alexia Putellas, Barcelona's captain, joined a video call under a username that highlighted her squad number, 11. She appeared relaxed and confident. At 32, she is approaching 500 appearances for the club and remains central to Barcelona's project on and off the pitch.
Recently she launched a collaboration with Nike featuring customized boots and apparel where the A in her name and the number 11 are combined into a crown-like emblem — a nod to her nickname 'the Queen'. That new line sold out almost immediately. Sportingly, her team lifted the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid a few days ago, and they will meet Real Madrid again in the Copa de la Reina quarter-final on Thursday at 21:00 CET, broadcast on Teledeporte.
Statistically she is remarkable: close to 500 games for Barcelona, only a few goals away from becoming the club's second-highest scorer after Lionel Messi, and she is the leading scorer in the 'Clásico' clashes with 11 goals.
The number 11 has become part of her identity. She explains that, from childhood, she was drawn to left-footed players and the number's history. While many fought for the number 10, she was content to wait for 11 — it always felt like the right choice, and it also reflects the eleven players who make up a team.
On her mentality, she stresses that what fans see on the pitch is genuinely who she is: a professional who loves the daily grind, believes she can still improve, and wakes up ready to compete while also enjoying the process. She thinks this is one of the stronger stretches of her career, though she believes the very best is still to come.
Physically she feels fortunate: injuries have been kinder lately, which has allowed her to maintain regularity. For longevity and consistency she relies on a deep passion for the sport; without that love for the hard work, she says, the game would become tedious.
As captain she highlights the long-term construction of the dressing-room culture: standards of expectation and commitment built by many personalities and leaders over time. The result is a team that is comfortable with high demands and treats pressure as a privilege, creating a positive working environment that helps when titles are at stake.
She agrees with teammates like Claudia Pina that unity is essential: football is a team sport and emotional intelligence with the player next to you is indispensable. The more efforts aligned toward the same goal, the better the chances of success.
The squad now includes many very young players, an element she finds stimulating. She is curious about how these younger generations think and speaks with them often. The blend of experienced and youthful perspectives is something she describes as a very positive development in the group.
She recognizes a certain innocence and purity of motivation in the younger players that she remembers from when she was 18. Careers have ups and downs due to injuries or difficult runs, but overcoming those moments brings you back to the fundamental reason you began playing.
Off the field each player has her own personality; on the field, they are equally demanding. Young teammates bring out softer and more affectionate sides in her, while the on-field standard remains strict. About the locker-room banter, she notes that the humour of the new generation is different, but she enjoys it and they get along well.
Her contract runs through summer 2026, with an optional extra year. She appreciates colleagues' praise — including Patri Guijarro’s comment that she could not imagine Barça without Alexia — but stresses that the club is bigger than any individual and will continue to evolve.
Overall, Putellas projects calm confidence: focused on team goals, enjoying the daily work, and driven to keep improving both as a player and as a leader.