Vicky Lopez: From Benidorm to Barcelona – the rise of women’s football’s next superstar

Lopez quickly attracted attention in Madrid, but there were major obstacles on his way to the top.

He lost his mother to a brain tumor when he was only 11 years old. When his mother’s condition worsened and his father was practically living in hospital, Mellado and his Madrid teammates helped Lopez get to training and kept him busy.

From there Lopez improved at a phenomenal pace. In 2019, she was chosen as the most valuable player in the La Liga tournament for under-12 girls’ teams, scoring seven goals, including a hat-trick in the final.

He attracted attention by scoring 60 goals in 17 matches in the 2020-21 youth league and started his journey in the country’s youth rankings.

In September 2021, Lopez became the youngest player to feature in Spain’s top flight, coming off the bench against Athletic Bilbao at the age of 15 years and 42 days.

“Of course he had talent; that’s what I always told him,” Mellado said.

“So I pushed him hard because if he really wanted to, he always had to do his best, and he did. He was one of the hardest workers and never complained once.”

“He knows what he wants, which is very important because it drives him to strive every day to achieve it.”

In 2022, Barcelona, ​​the Spanish champion every year, will be in the 16th league. He signed Lopez on his birthday, and two months later Lopez became the youngest player to make his debut in the club’s professional history.

He did this by wearing number 30, the same shirt that Lionel Messi wore when he broke into Barça’s first team.

That season, Lopez became Barcelona’s youngest player (male or female) to debut in the Champions League and the youngest player to score in Liga F.

Although fans were not yet thrilled with his potential, they were thrilled when he was named MVP of Spain as they won the U17 World Cup in India in October that year.

Lopez made her Spain debut in February 2024, replacing national icon Jenni Hermoso in the Nations League semi-final. At the age of 17 years, six months and 27 days, he became his country’s youngest debutant.

She won the Kopa Cup for the world’s best young player, making a big splash in the 2024-25 season when she replaced the ill Aitana Bonmati to help Spain reach the Euro 2025 final.

Originally used as a winger, Lopez is now largely used in a central role with the club and national team, despite competition from the likes of Bonmati, Patri Guijarro and his idol Alexia Putellas.

The combination of intelligence, excellent technique and athleticism allows him to both score and create goals; He contributed nine goals and nine assists in 26 Liga F matches this season, 16 of which were starts.

“He’s not afraid of anything and he tries everything. I think that’s why he’s starting to be in the starting 11 even in such talented teams,” Vidal said. he said.

“As we said in Spain, he is one of those players you buy tickets to watch because he enjoys the game and makes you enjoy it too.

“He is as outgoing on the field as he is off the field.”