“Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono” is a name that has been in Google searches and has been in high media demands over the past few days after Spain reached their first FIFA Women’s World Cup Final in their women’s footballing history. Who is this woman and why is she given so much importance? Let’s get to know more about another World Cup prodigy who played a crucial role for Spain this World Cup campaign.
Salma Celeste who has been playing the role of a left-winger for the Spanish national team has been playing in La Liga Feminine for FC Barcelona and has played for Villarreal earlier. The player has also been on the list of FIFA 2022 Puskas Award nominees. Later the player also won various tournaments like UEFA Women’s Under 17 Championship and FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup in 2018 and later also won the FIFA Under 20 Women’s World Cup. The player’s talent and capability later outshined which led to a call-up to the senior national team on 11th November 2022.
She entered the senior football national team with an impeccable record of a win and a hat-trick in a 7-0 win against Argentina in a friendly. Her performance later led to her further call-up to the senior national team again for the World Cup 2023 which is currently being organised in Australia and New Zealand. The player was born in Spain on 13th November 2003 carrying an African descent with herself. Her father is Spanish while her mother is Equatorial Guinean Fang which led her to an advantage of representing both the nation but the player chose to represent the Spanish side.
Salma Celeste began her sporting career in athletics, starting at the San José Athletics Club in Zaragoza. In 2019, she won a bronze medal in the 400-meter category at the Spanish Athletics Indoor Championship. That same year, she also earned two gold medals at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in the 400-meter category, with a time of 57.95 seconds. After the event, she switched her focus to football and made an impressive debut for Spain, scoring crucial goals against the Netherlands and Sweden.