Alexia Putellas paraded her second Ballon d'Or Féminin trophy before Barcelona’s match against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League.
The star midfielder is currently on the sidelines with an ACL injury, but that did not stop her from soaking up the adoration of the Estadi Johan Cruyff crowd.
With her teammates waiting in the middle of the pitch, Putellas walked out with her Ballon d’Or Féminin trophy aloft.
She was enthusiastically clapped and cheered on by her fans in the stand.
Why did Alexia Putellas win the Ballon d’Or Féminin?
Despite playing in midfield, Putellas scored 18 goals in the Primera Iberdrola, captaining her side to yet another league title.
She also scored a competition-leading 11 goals in the Champions League as Barcelona reached the final, alongside four in the Copa de la Reina and one in the Super Cup.
But Putellas was unable to play at Euro 2022 after tearing her ACL just days before the tournament got underway.
Video: Watch Alexia Putellas parade her Ballon d'Or Féminin trophy
The 28-year-old became the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or Féminin twice when she received the trophy during an extravagant ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday night.
It wasn’t a given that Putellas would be the winner for a second year in a row, however, with Arsenal and England star Beth Mead losing out on the 2022 Ballon d’Or Féminin by just one point.
Putellas secured 164 points in total from the judges, while Mead, the Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner, ended up with 163.
PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 17: Alexia Putellas (C) receives her second Woman Ballon d'Or award from Andriy Shevchenko (L), next to Didier Drogba (R), during the Ballon D'Or ceremony at Theatre Du Chatelet In Paris on October 17, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
How did Barcelona fare in their opening Women’s Champions League match?
Barcelona were in full throttle for their opening Champions League match against Benfica, triumphing 9-0.
Patricia Guijarro opened the scoring in the first minute, before Aitana Bonmatà and Asisat Oshoala added to the tally in the first half.
Second-half scorers included Mariona Caldentey, Ana-Maria CrnogorÄević and Clà udia Pina, while Geyse Ferreira hit the back of the net twice and Oshoala also got her second of the game.
SANT JOAN DESPI, SPAIN - OCTOBER 19: Alexia Putellas of FC Barcelona pose for a photo with the Ballon d'Or Feminin award with her teammates prior to the UEFA Women's Champions League group D match between FC Barcelona and SL Benfica at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on October 19, 2022 in Sant Joan Despi, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Drawn in Group D, Barcelona will face FC Rosengård next in the Champions League, but their most difficult fixture is likely to be against Bayern Munich.
Despite Barcelona’s emphatic victory, the match was overshadowed by Arsenal’s astonishing 5-1 win against defending champions Lyon.
It was the first time Lyon had conceded more than four goals in a game for 17 years.