Spain’s teen prodigy Salma Paralluelo looks to shine in Women’s World Cup final

At just 19 years old, FC Barcelona forward Paralluelo has put in a Women's World Cup performance that could provide plenty of reasons for the England side to lose sleep ahead of its clash with Spain in the tournament final on Sunday. 

The left-footer was in the starting line-up for Spain’s first four 2023 World Cup matches and shone in the round of 16 match against Switzerland – which La Roja, as the Spanish side are known, won 5-1.

Paralluelo’s power, talent and lightning speed are an essential part of her team’s attack, which has proven to be one of the most successful in the competition with 17 goals in total. 

Since the quarter-finals, the Spanish player has flourished in her role as “supersub”, intervening towards the end of matches to game-changing effect. She came on for Jennifer Hermoso, Spain’s all-time top scorer, against the Netherlands and scored the winning goal in the 111th minute. 

It was a similar story in the semi-final against Sweden, where she replaced two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and opened scoring in the 81st minute with a sublime swivel shot. In both games, Paralluelo was named Woman of the Match. 

“I feel really proud. The whole team is. We are one step away from victory,” the teen prodigy said in a press conference after the match. “Scoring is a magic moment. It feels unique and incredible [but] it’s a whole team effort.”