Salma Paralluelo – Spain's X-factor at the Women's World Cup

Spain has qualified for their first World Cup final in the history of 'La Rioja', and the catalyst for clinching that spot came from 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo. Spain's most valuable player!

Paralluelo scored in the 111th minute, after a great assist from Jennifer Hermoso to send Spain to their first semifinals a week ago. In the semifinal against Sweeden, she scored Spain's opening goal, with only 10 minutes left in the game!

Subbed in the second half, Paralluelo made an instant impact on the game, providing pace down the wing of the pitch. She was awarded the MVP for the second time this World Cup!

Salma Paralluelo was born in Zaragoza, in 2003. Her mother is from Equatorial Guinea, and her father is from Spain. Growing up, she competed at a high level in both football and track and field.

By 15, she became the youngest player to debut for Real Zaragoza, and simultaneously competed internationally for the San Jose athletics club, in medium and short-distance track and field events.

She began to attract attention with her athletic exploits, winning the Princess Leonor Award, given to the best Spanish athlete under 18 years old at the 2018 National Sports Awards ceremony.

Her track and field achievements are no small feat, she still holds record times in five different events as well as U-18 records for 400-meter indoor track and outdoor hurdles. She even won bronze in the 2019 Spanish Indoor Athletics Championship.

"The truth is that I couldn't choose between track and football," She said in an interview for Runner’s World. "It takes a bit of time to meet my friends because I have to train, but I'm passionate about sports and it's given me a lot of good things in my life, so it makes up for itself."

In 2019, she moved from her home club, Real Zaragoza, to Villareal, signing a double contract with not just Villareal but with Playas del Castellon, a track and field club so she could continue to play both sports.

She began to develop as a footballer at Villareal and played an important role in Villareal’s historic promotion to the first division of La Liga Femenina in 2021, scoring 15 goals.

Disaster struck later that year when she suffered an ACL tear, ending her football season and causing her to miss out on the U-20 World Cup for Spain, the World Athletics Relay in Poland, and the European Championship with her club.

She eventually recovered from this injury and regained her form with Villareal, even scoring a world-class goal away at Barcelona which would go on to be nominated for the Puskas award.

This goal seems to have caught the eye of Barcelona director Joan Laporta, who eventually signed the young Spanish midfielder. 

However, her transfer to Barcelona came with a choice, football or track and field, and she stuck to football.

“I always saw myself fighting for the best in both.” Said Paralluelo in an interview on FIFA’s website. “That's why I wanted to continue with both. They have told me that my body is very athletic, very athletic, but in football they tell me that I have very good physical qualities and the ability to learn in training. I always felt 100% for both of them."

It's safe to say that this decision paid off, in her first season with the Blaugrana she scored 11 goals in La Liga and lifted the Champions League Trophy.

All eyes are on Paralluelo in this upcoming final. She will most likely play another important role in the game's outcome.