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Salma Paralluelo

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Salma Paralluelo
Image
Paralluelo with Spain in 2026
Personal information
Full name Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono
Date of birth (2003-11-13) 13 November 2003 (age 22)[1]
Place of birth Zaragoza, Spain[1]
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 OL Lyonnes
Number 77
Youth career
San José
Zaragoza CFF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Zaragoza CFF B
Zaragoza CFF
2019–2022 Villarreal 37 (23)
2022–2026 Barcelona 75 (44)
2026– OL Lyonnes 4 (2)
International career‡
2018–2019 Spain U17 20 (9)
2022 Spain U19 3 (1)
2022 Spain U20 5 (3)
2022– Spain 53 (16)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing Image Spain
FIFA Women's World Cup
Winner2023 Australia–New Zealand
UEFA Women's Championship
Runner-up2025 Switzerland
UEFA Women's Nations League
Winner2024 France–Netherlands–Spain
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Winner2022 Costa Rica
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Winner2018 Uruguay
UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship
Winner2018 Lithuania
Women's athletics
Representing Image Spain
European Youth Olympic Festival
Gold medal – first place2019 Baku400 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place2019 BakuMedley relay
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:53, 19 October 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 04:10, 19 October 2026 (UTC)

Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsalma θeˈleste paɾaˈʎwelo aʝiŋˈɡono] ⓘ; born 13 November 2003) is a Spanish professional footballer and former sprinter who plays as a forward for Première Ligue club OL Lyonnes and the Spain national team. She is the first ever player to have won all three World Cups, having won the 2023 FIFA World Cup, 2022 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and 2018 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[2]

Early life

[edit]

Paralluelo was born in Zaragoza to a Spanish father[3] and an Equatorial Guinean Fang mother.[4][5] Her mother had moved from Equatorial Guinea so that her son, Florencio, from a previous relationship, who had a severe congenital vision deficiency, could receive better medical treatment in Spain.[5][6][7] She has two other brothers, José Jaime and Lorenzo, both footballers.[8]

She was raised in a working class neighbourhood in Zaragoza with her three older brothers. She began playing football with classmates as a young child. Her father lost his job during her early childhood, which worsened her family's financial position. Her mother later moved to Switzerland for work and had limited contact with Paralluelo, who remained in Spain and was raised primarily by her father. Paralluelo saw her mother during Christmas and summer holidays for most of her childhood. Her father described her as a student who passed her classes but was not "brilliant". She is close friends with triple jump bronze Olympic medalist, Ana Peleteiro, whom she met during her athletics career as a teenager.[9]

In December 2012, her older half-brother, Florencio, disappeared while going to meet with friends from his university. His body was found in a reservoir 35 days later in the Ebro River in Zaragoza. No violence or foul play was suspected in his death. Paralluelo participated in sports to cope with her brother's death.[10]

Club career

[edit]

Paralluelo is a product of UD San José in Zaragoza.[11] She has played for Zaragoza CFF and Villarreal in Spain. She is also a 2022 FIFA Puskás Award nominee.

Paralluelo signed for FC Barcelona at the end of the 2021–22 season, after her contract with Villarreal ended.[12] In the 2023–24 season, she scored four goals in the 7–1 away win against Real Sociedad,[13] one of two "pokers" on her way to being Barcelona's top goalscorer in all competitions (Caroline Graham Hansen eventually took the league Pichichi title) as the team won four trophies. Still struggling in some tougher games, her growth as a footballer "made leaps" in the season.[14] On 23 May 2026, she scored two late goals in a 4–0 victory over Lyon in the Champions League final, sealing her club's fourth title in the competition.[15] A month later, on 30 June, Paralluelo left Barcelona after her contract expired, having won 15 titles with the club.[16]

On 25 July 2026, French club OL Lyonnes announced the signing of Paralluelo to a four-year contract until 2030.[17]

International career

[edit]
Image
Paralluelo (centre) with Spain teammates Aitana Bonmatí (left) and Ivana Andrés at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards

Paralluelo won the 2018 UEFA Under-17 Championship and the 2018 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In April 2021, her anterior cruciate ligament was torn during a match.[18]

She returned to win the 2022 FIFA U-20 World Cup. She made her senior debut on 11 November 2022, starting and scoring a hat-trick in a 7-0 friendly home win over Argentina.

She was included in the Spain squad list for the 2023 World Cup.[19] During the quarter-final match against the Netherlands on 11 August, she scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory after extra time, to qualify Spain for the first time in history into the semi-finals of a World Cup.[20]

On 15 August 2023, she scored a goal in Spain's 2–1 victory over Sweden to take her team to its first senior World Cup final.[21] After winning the final against England, in which she played as a starter, she was proclaimed the best young player of the tournament.[22]

In October 2024, she announced that she would take an indefinite break from football due to physical and mental fatigue. She made 92 appearances with the Spanish national team and Spanish football clubs in just two years from 2022 to 2024.[23]

In June 2025, she was called up by the Spanish national team for the UEFA Euro 2025 tournament in Switzerland.[24][25]

Athletics

[edit]

As an athlete, Paralluelo began her career at the San José Athletics club in Zaragoza. She won the Jean Bouin road race in Barcelona from 2012 to 2016 in her age group. In June 2016, Paralluelo participated for the first time in the Spanish championships in her age group (U14) and won three disciplines (80 meters hurdles, shot put, 80 meters).[26] In 2017, she won the 60 meters hurdles at the U16 Spanish Indoor Championships and finished sixth in the 100 meters hurdles at the U16 National Outdoor Championships that summer.[citation needed]

She joined the Scorpio-71 club, the largest athletics club in Zaragoza.[27] In 2018, Paralluelo won the 300 meters at the Spanish U16 Indoor Championships in 39.46 s and finished second in the triple jump (12.06 meters) on the same day.[28] At her age group outdoor championships in July, she broke the all-time Spanish record in the non-Olympic 300 meters hurdles discipline with a winning time of 42.56.[29]

In the outdoor season, in the third race of her life over the 400 meters hurdles, during the Ibero-American Athletics Meeting in Huelva, Paralluelo ran a time of 57.43, beating the all-time best Spanish sub-18 record and also breaking that year’s sub-18 world best time. With this result she was also qualified for the 2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival, where she won two gold medals in the 400m hurdles event, with a time of 57.95, and the medley relay.[citation needed]

In late 2019 she went to Playas de Castellón. She won her first senior medal at the 2019 Spanish Indoor Athletics Championships, winning bronze in the 400-meter test with a mark of 53.83s, a Spanish national record in the sub-18 and sub-20 categories.[30][31] Her result also allowed her to participate in the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[32] At the age of 15 years and 108 days, she was the second youngest ever participant in a total of 35 European Indoor Championships, only behind Norwegian race walker Kjersti Tysse (15 years and 34 days in the 1987 edition).[33]

In July 2022, after signing a contract with FC Barcelona, Salma Paralluelo announced that she wanted to focus solely on football in the future, thus retiring her career in athletics.[34]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 17 October 2026[35]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Villarreal 2019–20 Segunda División Pro 12500——125
2020–21 Segunda División Pro 171500——1715
2021–22 Primera División 8310——93
Total 372310——3823
Barcelona 2022–23 Liga F 1811129[b]12[c]13015
2023–24 Liga F 19204411[b]62[c]43634
2024–25 Liga F 177527[b]42[c]03113
2025–26 Liga F 216427[b]42[c]03412
Total 7544131033158513174
OL Lyonnes 2026–27 Première Ligue 42002[b]00062
Career total 11669141035158517599
  1. ↑ Includes Copa de la Reina
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in UEFA Women's Champions League
  3. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in Supercopa de España

International

[edit]
As of match played 13 October 2026
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 202223
2023166
2024134
2025141
202682
Total5316
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Paralluelo goal.
List of international goals scored by Salma Paralluelo
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
111 November 2022Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro, Melilla, SpainImage Argentina3–07–0Friendly
24–0
35–0
46 April 2023Estadi Municipal de Can Misses, Ibiza, SpainImage Norway3–14–2Friendly
54–1
65 July 2023Gladsaxe Stadium, Gladsaxe, DenmarkImage Denmark2–02–0Friendly
711 August 2023Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington, New ZealandImage Netherlands2–12–12023 FIFA Women's World Cup
815 August 2023Eden Park, Auckland, New ZealandImage Sweden1–02–1
95 December 2023La Rosaleda Stadium, Málaga, SpainImage Sweden1–15–32023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League
105 April 2024Den Dreef, Leuven, BelgiumImage Belgium1–07–0UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying
113–0
124–0
136 August 2024Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, FranceImage Brazil2–42–42024 Summer Olympics
148 April 2025Balaídos, Vigo, SpainImage Portugal1–07–12025 UEFA Women's Nations League
159 June 2026Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, IcelandImage Iceland3–06–12027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
1613 October 2026Subaru Park, Chester, United StatesImage United States2–02–2Friendly

Honours

[edit]

FC Barcelona

Spain

Spain U20

Spain U17

Individual

Records

[edit]

Currently, Salma Paralluelo holds the following Spanish records in different age categories:[57]

Under-18

[edit]
  • 300m (38.60)
  • 300m hurdles (41.97)
  • 400m hurdles (57.36)
  • Medley relay (2:08.53, with Laura Pintiel, Esperança Cladera, and Carmen Avilés)
  • 400m indoor track (53.83)

Under-16

[edit]
  • 300m hurdles (42.56)
  • 300m indoor track (39.27)

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 "Salma Paralluelo Women's First Division". La Liga. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Paralluelo crosses finish line with third winners' medal". FIFA.com. FIFA. 21 August 2023. Archived from the original on 8 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Lezana, Javier Díaz de (25 August 2023). "El drama personal y familiar de Salma Paralluelo (más allá del fútbol)". Mujerhoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  4. ↑ Torrado, Sara Cuesta (November 2020). "Salma Paralluelo, la futbolista y velocista que bate todos los récords". El País.
  5. 1 2 "Continúa la búsqueda de Florencio Ayingono Eworo | Entrevista con su madre, Diosdada Ayingono". 21 December 2012.
  6. ↑ "Denuncian la desaparición de un joven universitario en Zaragoza". 17 December 2012.
  7. ↑ "Aparece sin signos de violencia el cadáver del universitario desaparecido en Zaragoza". 17 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Los hermanos Paralluelo brillan con fuerza en la 'Cantera Grogueta'". El Periódico Mediterráneo. 2 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Lezana, Javier Díaz de (25 August 2023). "El drama personal y familiar de Salma Paralluelo (más allá del fútbol)". Mujerhoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  10. ↑ Digital, Aragón (17 January 2013). "Aparece sin signos de violencia el cadáver del universitario desaparecido en Zaragoza". Aragón Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo: Spain's teenage X-Factor who could ruin England's World Cup dreams | Goal.com Ghana". www.goal.com. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo signs for FC Barcelona". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Salma fue el presente y el futuro del Barça en la goleada en Zubieta". www.sport.es (in Spanish). 10 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  14. ↑ Tikas, Maria (30 May 2024). "El 1x1 de una temporada perfecta". Diario Sport (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Ewa Pajor, Salma Paralluelo braces lift Barcelona over OL Lyonnes, spoiling Lindsey Heaps' final European match". Yahoo! Sports. 23 May 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Salma Paralluelo to leave FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona. 30 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "Football. Salma Paralluelo débarque à Lyon : le très gros coup d'OL Lyonnes". Le Progres (in French). 25 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo sufre la rotura del ligamento de su rodilla y se pierde el Mundial de relevos". MARCA (in Spanish). 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  19. ↑ "La lista oficial para el Mundial de Australia y Nueva Zelanda" [The official list for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 30 June 2023.
  20. ↑ "Women's World Cup 2023: 'Great day' as Spain reach first semi-final despite off-field issues". BBC Sport. 11 August 2023.
  21. ↑ Downey, Sophie (15 August 2023). "Spain reach their first Women's World Cup final as late winner sinks Sweden". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo, mejor jugadora joven del torneo: "Soy la mujer más feliz del mundo"". MARCA (in Spanish). 20 August 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo: Spain star's journey to top and her struggle to find form for Euro 2025". BBC Sport. 3 July 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  24. ↑ "Euro 2025 squads: England, Wales, Spain, Germany & every roster for Women's European Championship | Goal.com US". www.goal.com. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  25. ↑ "Jenni Hermoso left off Spain squad for Euro '25". ESPN.com. 10 June 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  26. ↑ Abad, Anna (25 October 2018). "▷ Una charla con Salma Paralluelo". SPORTARAGON.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  27. ↑ Barcia, Igor (19 February 2019). "Salma Celeste, el talento más deseado". El Diario Montañés (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  28. ↑ Martí, R. (21 March 2018). "Talento puro para el deporte". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  29. ↑ "Aragón obtiene un brillante repóker en el Nacional sub-16". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 2 July 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  30. ↑ "La deportista total tiene solo 15 años, es de Zaragoza y se llama Salma Paralluelo". Runner's World (in European Spanish). 21 February 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  31. ↑ Cabeza, Gonzalo (17 February 2019). "Salma Paralluelo se carga de razones para ser atleta... pero el fútbol también pide la vez". elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  32. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo, un prodigio a dos bandas". www.elperiodico.com (in Spanish). 22 February 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  33. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo, con 15 años, se despide en su debut en los 400 en los Europeos". El Español (in Spanish). 1 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  34. ↑ "Salma Paralluelo: "He flipado mucho con el nivel que hay en el Barça"". MARCA (in Spanish). 25 December 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  35. ↑ Salma Paralluelo at Soccerway
  36. ↑ "10th Liga F title for Barça Women". FC Barcelona. 11 May 2025. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  37. ↑ Marsden, Sam (22 April 2026). "Barcelona win 7th straight Liga F title to further quadruple quest". espn.com. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  38. ↑ "Barça 2-0 Atlético Madrid: Pina wins the crown for the queens of the cup". FC Barcelona. 7 June 2025. Archived from the original on 7 June 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  39. ↑ Marsden, Sam (17 May 2026). "Barcelona win Copa de la Reina, stay on track for quadruple". espn.co.uk. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "Sixth Super Cup for FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona Femení. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  41. ↑ Wrack, Suzanne (3 June 2023). "Rolfö caps Barcelona comeback against Wolfsburg to win thrilling WCL final". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  42. ↑ "Barcelona retains Women's Champions League title, completing historic quadruple". CNN. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  43. ↑ Rajan, Adwaidh (23 May 2026). "Barcelona 4–0 Lyonnes". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  44. ↑ "England 1-1 Spain". uefa.com. 27 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  45. ↑ "Women's Nations League final: World Cup winners Spain beat France 2–0 in Seville". BBC Sport. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  46. ↑ "FIFA Women's World Cup awards: Bonmati wins Golden Ball". FIFA. 20 August 2023. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  47. ↑ "This just in... You have voted 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐀 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐋𝐎 as the 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 of the 433 Awards: 2022-23 Women's Talent of the Year! ✨💎". 433. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  48. ↑ Trigo, Iván (7 October 2023). "Zaragoza distingue a sus hijos predilectos y adoptivos y entrega la Medalla de Oro al Grupo Carreras". El Periódico de Aragón. Prensa Ibérica.
  49. ↑ "IFFHS WOMEN'S WORLD BEST YOUTH (U20) PLAYER 2023". IFFHS. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  50. ↑ "IFFHS WOMEN'S WORLD TEAM 2023". IFFHS. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  51. ↑ "IFFHS WORLD TEAMS 2024". IFFHS. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  52. ↑ "IFFHS WOMEN'S UEFA TEAM 2023". IFFHS. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  53. ↑ "IFFHS WOMEN'S CONTINENTAL TEAMS 2024 - UEFA". IFFHS. 25 January 2025.
  54. ↑ "IFFHS WOMEN'S YOUTH (U20) UEFA TEAM 2023". IFFHS. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  55. ↑ "Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff nominated at the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards : All you need to know". Tennis Clubhouse. 8 April 2024. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  56. ↑ "Barça stars dominate The Best FIFA Women's 11". fifa.com. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  57. ↑ "Ranking". Atletismo RFEA (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 April 2024.
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