A Ballon d’Or winner in Bromley: Alexia Putellas’ London City Lionesses debut
Alexia Putellas made her WSL debut for London City Lionesses on Friday, drawing a global crowd to the Copperjax Community Stadium.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 / Author: Jordi Roca
The arrival of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas at London City Lionesses turned a suburban corner of London into a global football hub. Fans from across the globe, including supporters from Canada, Slovakia, and Poland, traveled to Bromley, demonstrating the immense pull of one of the women’s game’s most high-profile players.
In her WSL debut against Manchester United, Putellas immediately asserted her influence. Beyond wearing the captain’s armband, she dictated the game’s tempo with characteristic intelligence, drifting across the pitch to help her side secure a 2-1 victory. Her teammate Delphine Cascarino praised the energy the Spaniard brought to the opening game of the season.
The match drew a record home crowd of 5,204 fans, highlighting the growing interest in the club’s project under owner Michele Kang. Head coach Eder Maestre noted after the game that Putellas’ presence sets a new standard for the entire squad, emphasizing that she brings as much off-field facilitation as on-field skill.
This move is part of a deliberate strategy to raise the club’s profile, bolstered by new commercial deals and increased media exposure. Through her agency’s initiatives and the new ElevenTV channel, Putellas is helping to bridge the gap between the WSL and international audiences, with further plans to expand Spanish-language coverage into Latin American markets.