Salma Paralluelo

Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono (born 13 November 2003) is a Spanish footballer and former sprinter. She is known for her achievements in both track and field events and football. Paralluelo plays as a left winger for FC Barcelona in the Liga F league and represents the Spain women's national football team.

 Early Life and Background 
Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono was born in Zaragoza, Spain. Her father is Spanish, and her mother is from Equatorial Guinea. Her mother moved to Spain to get better medical treatment for her son from a previous relationship who had a severe congenital vision deficiency. This move allowed Salma's family to receive medical support for her brother's condition. Apart from her brother, she also has two more brothers, José Jaime and Lorenzo, both of whom are footballers.

 Athletic and Football Career 
Paralluelo's sporting journey began in athletics. She joined the San José Athletics club in Zaragoza and later the Scorpio-71 club in Zaragoza. She quickly gained attention in the athletics world. In 2019, she won a bronze medal at the Spanish Indoor Athletics Championships in the 400-meter event, setting a Spanish national record for her age category.

 Changing to Football 
Paralluelo's talents extended beyond athletics. She also excelled in football. She started her football career with UD San José in Zaragoza and played for Zaragoza CFF and Villarreal in Spain. After her contract with Villarreal ended, she signed with FC Barcelona at the end of the 2021/22 season.

 International Achievements 
Salma Paralluelo achieved remarkable success in international competitions. She won the 2018 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship, the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup with the Spanish national teams. She made her senior debut for the Spain women's national football team on 11 November 2022, scoring a hat-trick in a friendly match against Argentina. Notably, Paralluelo was a nominee for the 2022 FIFA Puskás Award, recognizing outstanding goals in football. In the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Paralluelo was a key player for the Spain women's national team. She scored crucial goals in the quarter-final and semi-final matches, helping Spain reach the World Cup final for the first time in history.

On 15 August 2023, she scored a goal in Spain's 2–1 victory over Sweden, contributing to her team's journey to the World Cup final.

 Career statistics 

 Club 
+Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupOtherUWCLTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsVillarreal2021–22Primera División8310––93Barcelona2022–23Primera División15101221612414Career total23132221613317
 International 

+List of international goals scored by Salma ParallueloNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition111 November 2022Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro, Melilla, Spain3–07–0Friendly24–035–046 April 2023Estadi Municipal de Can Misses, Ibiza, Spain3–14–2Friendly54–165 July 2023Gladsaxe Stadium, Gladsaxe, Denmark2–02–0Friendly711 August 2023Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand2–12–12023 FIFA Women's World Cup815 August 2023Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand1–02–12023 FIFA Women's World Cup
References

Category:2003 births
Category:Living people
Category:Spanish footballers
Category:Spanish sprinters