The 70th anniversary of the 2026 Ballon d'Or Gala once again put LaMasia, FCBarcelona's famous academy, in the spotlight. At the ceremony, London City player AlexiaPutellas won her fourth Ballon d'Or, making a total of 14 awards awarded to footballers who have come through the Barça youth academy. This achievement places her alongside her former Barça teammate, AitanaBonmatí, who had already won three consecutive titles, and the legendary LeoMessi, who with eight Ballon d'Ors is the highest winner in the history of the trophy.
The number of 14 awards includes eight for Messi and the six shared between Aitana and Alexia, which means that 75% of the women's Ballon d'Or awarded since 2018 by FranceFootball come from LaMasia. In addition, the quarry has produced other high-level talents, such as LamineYamal, who was named best young talent in the world for the third time, and VickyLópez, who won the former women's “Kopa” for the second consecutive season.
Although the majority of players who have won the Spanish Ballon d'Or come from other academies, LaMasia remains the most prolific factory of talents reaching the top of world football. The academy's legacy is reflected not only in the individual titles, but also in the presence of its graduates on the podiums and in the history of the sport, such as the iconic 2010 podium photo with Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. With these results, LaMasia continues to consolidate itself as the reference pool for future Ballon d'Or winners.