Salma Paralluelo: A Trailblazer’s Rise From Track to World Stage
At nineteen, his appearance and his footballing path send mixed signals. Salma Paralluelo, the youngest member of the Spanish squad, secured the decisive goal that propelled Spain past the Netherlands and into the world semifinals. People around him once doubted, and just months ago the whispers grew louder. Yet he remains grounded, refusing to believe the surrounding hype too quickly.
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That moment also forced a life-changing choice: to pause his track career and concentrate solely on football. If he wanted to make a mark, he had to commit completely. A door opened at Barcelona, and turning away was not an option. Even though injuries kept him from the big European Cup with the senior squad, the national team did not miss a beat. He joined the under-20 team to compete in the World Cup, where he emerged as champion and claimed the tournament’s most valuable player honor in the finale, a few weeks later.
His record speaks for itself. He triumphed as an athlete in the 400-meter hurdles and the relay at the European Youth Olympic Festival in the capital of Azerbaijan in 2019. On the football field, he is a European and world champion with Spain’s under-17 squad in 2018 in Lithuania and with the under-20 squad in 2022 in Uruguay. He is on a trajectory that seems destined to redefine the game.
“I Remember Everything”
Gold runs in his veins. When he traveled to Australia and New Zealand, the aim was not merely to participate but to prove his capacity to excel in both sports on the world stage. The young athlete who used to rise at dawn to balance studies with dual sports now reflects on the journey with clarity. The injuries that marked the years between 2021 and 2022 appear in the rearview as hard lessons that sharpened his resolve. He recalls every moment, every hurdle, every triumph, and sees a path that has shaped his identity and career. The sentiment is simple and powerful: the experiences endured prepared him for what he is today.
He emphasizes a philosophy of continual growth. The World Cup is a privilege, and all players aspire to wear that badge. The effort was worthwhile, and belief carried the team to the end. There is a shared aspiration to keep making history together, step by step, match after match, as they write the next chapters in their footballing chronicles. Attribution: sports coverage