8 Hispanic Soccer Players On The Rise Right Now
It is currently Hispanic Heritage Month through October 15, so with that in mind, we wanted to take a look at eight Hispanic players who are currently on the rise.
Reyna Reyes
Reyes has represented Mexico since 2016 at both the youth and senior team levels. She’s seen action for the U17, U19, and U20 youth teams. She made her debut for the senior team in February of 2021 and has four caps so far.
She played collegiately at Alabama, where she started all 79 games she appeared in, scoring 16 goals and tallying five assists in her career with the Crimson Tide. While at Alabama, she was also a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy during her junior and senior seasons.
Reyes was the fifth overall pick by the Portland Thorns during the 2023 NWSL Draft. She’s made 11 appearances for the Thorns and has since signed a new contract to stay with the team.
Salma Paralluelo
At just 19, Paralluelo is becoming a star for the Spanish national team. She made her debut for the senior team in 2022 but has already scored eight goals in 14 appearances. During the 2023 Women’s World Cup, she found the back of the net against the Netherlands and Sweden in the knockout rounds to help Spain on their way to lifting their first Women’s World Cup.
Before being called up to the senior team, she represented Spain at the youth level with the U17, U19, and U20 squads.
She plays club soccer for FC Barcelona, which she signed for in 2022. So far, for Barcelona, she has 14 goals in 24 appearances.
Linda Caicedo
Linda Caicedo was one of the best stories to come out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but she’s been an inspiration for a long time. She made her professional debut at just 14 playing club in Colombia, where she would stay until February 2023 when she signed with Real Madrid.
The forward was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was just 15. After going through treatment, she was declared cancer-free and then returned to the field. She was the star of Colombia at the World Cup.
She became the second youngest player to ever score in the World Cup at 18, and she scored the most important goal for Colombia against Germany, helping propel Colombia to the knockout stage.
Ona Batlle
Batlle started every match for Spain on the backline during their Women’s World Cup run, playing 2,455 minutes during the tournament. She played a key role on a defense that earned three clean sheets during the tournament, including in the final.
She spent three seasons playing club soccer in England with Manchester United, where she appeared in 59 games. In June 2023, she decided to join FC Barcelona on a three-year deal. It was a homecoming for Batlle, seeing as she started her youth career in the Barcelona program.
Ashley Sanchez
Sanchez is part of the future of the USWNT, and she’s included in the younger generation that is taking over the national team. She played college soccer for UCLA, where she was a star. For the Bruins, she played three seasons, scoring 23 goals and tallying 42 assists in 69 games.
She was the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft by the Washington Spirit. For the Spirit, she has appeared in 57 games and scored 12 goals. Sanchez is an incredibly creative player that is fun to watch on the field.
For the USWNT, she’s made 26 appearances, scoring three goals and registering four assists. She was also part of the USWNT roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Lorena Benitez
Benitez plays for Argentina, and she was part of their 2023 Women’s World Cup squad. She made her first appearance for Argentina in 2019 and currently has 17 caps. At the World Cup, she appeared in two group-stage matches. She’s currently playing club soccer at Palmeiras in Brazil.
Diana Ordóñez
Ordóñez currently plays for the Houston Dash, but she broke onto the professional scene last season as a rookie for the North Carolina Courage. For the Courage, she scored 11 goals in 19 games, which broke the league record for most goals in a season by a rookie. During the offseason, she was traded to the Houston Dash, and so far this season, she’s made 18 appearances and scored three goals.
She earned her first appearance for Mexico in 2022 and has made six appearances, scoring two goals.
Aitana Bonmatí
Bonmatí was named the Golden Ball winner at the Women’s World Cup. She started every game for Spain in their run to winning the World Cup. At the tournament, she scored three goals and registered two assists.
She’s played her entire club career with Barcelona, appearing in 155 games for the club. Last season, she had nine goals and 10 assists during league play. She’s one of the most exciting players to watch who broke onto the global scene at the World Cup.
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