# Salma Paralluelo
**Salma Paralluelo** (born 2003 in Zaragoza, Spain) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a forward, most recently for [FC Barcelona](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-barcelona) and, from July 2026, for the French club OL Lyonnes, and who is a former elite sprinter who combined athletics with football until 2022.[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) A left-sided attacker capable of playing on either wing or through the middle, she won the World Cup with Spain in 2023 and was named the tournament's best young player.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp) • [1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Zaragoza, 2003; played second-division football there at 15[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) |
| Dual career | Combined top-level football and sprinting until 2022, when she joined FC Barcelona and committed to football alone[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) |
| Barcelona record | 72 goals in 131 appearances across four seasons (2022–2026)[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp) |
| Barcelona trophies | 15: three Champions Leagues, four leagues, three Copas de la Reina, four Super Cups, one Copa Catalunya[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp) |
| International titles | World champion with Spain at under-17 (2018), under-20 (2022) and senior (2023) level[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) |
| Individual recognition | Third in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2023 and 2024[3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/07/25/salma-paralluelo-deja-el-fc-barcelona-y-ficha-por-el-ol-lyoness-por-las-proximas-cuatro-temporadas-cadena-ser/) |
| Current club | OL Lyonnes, signed July 2026 through 2030[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) |
## Early career and dual-sport years
Paralluelo began playing football in her native Zaragoza, where she reached the second division at only 15 years of age.[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) She then joined [Villarreal CF](https://www.edgepedia.org/villarreal-cf) while continuing to compete at a high level in athletics as a sprinter, maintaining the two sports in parallel until 2022.[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) That year she chose football, signing for FC Barcelona in the summer of 2022 at 18 and dedicating herself exclusively to the sport.[4](https://efe.com/deportes/2026-06-30/salma-paralluelo-no-seguira-barcelona-proxima-temporada/) • [1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) Even after the switch, her athletic background remained part of her development: at Barcelona she followed individualized training plans to complete her transition from track to football.[5](https://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/futbol-femenino/20260630/11579196/barcelona-confirma-salida-salma-paralluelo.html)
## International breakthrough
Her international record is unusual in spanning three age categories. She won the under-17 World Cup with Spain in 2018, when she was 15, and the under-20 World Cup in 2022, when she was 19 and a star of that tournament.[6](https://as.com/futbol/femenino/oficial-salma-abandona-el-barcelona-f202606-n/) • [1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) With the senior side she was part of the Spain squad that won the 2023 World Cup, where she was proclaimed the best young player of the tournament.[1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/) She finished third in the [Ballon d'Or](https://www.edgepedia.org/ballon-dor) voting in both 2023 and 2024.[3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/07/25/salma-paralluelo-deja-el-fc-barcelona-y-ficha-por-el-ol-lyoness-por-las-proximas-cuatro-temporadas-cadena-ser/)
## FC Barcelona, 2022–2026
Across four seasons at Barcelona, Paralluelo scored 72 goals in 131 appearances and won 15 trophies: three [UEFA Women's Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-womens-champions-league) titles, four league titles, three Copas de la Reina, four Super Cups and a Copa Catalunya.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp) The club describes her as explosive and powerful, with the versatility to play on both wings, at left back, and at center forward.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp)
**Big-match role.** In the 2022/23 Champions League final against [Wolfsburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/wolfsburg) in [Eindhoven](https://www.edgepedia.org/eindhoven), technical observer Jorge Vilda identified a half-time tactical change as the turning point: Barcelona pressed with Paralluelo and [Aitana Bonmatí](https://www.edgepedia.org/aitana-bonmati) as the top two against the Wolfsburg center-backs, with Mariona Caldentey dropping into a second line, and Barcelona came back to win 3-2.[7](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0282-1858e5b21fc5-0ad43d26895e-1000/uwcl_technical_report_part_one_2022-23.pdf)
**2026 final.** In the 2026 Champions League final in Oslo, Barcelona beat OL Lyonnes 4-0, and Paralluelo, wearing the No. 7, scored twice and set up another goal, receiving a Sofascore rating of 10 for the performance.[8](https://www.sofascore.com/news/uwcl-final-paralluelo-brace-assist-sofascore-rating-10) Those two goals turned out to be her last for the club.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp)
**Injury.** In October 2025, while with the Spain squad, medical tests confirmed a partial rupture of the medial collateral ligament in her left knee, without other associated injuries, and she returned to Barcelona to begin her recovery.[9](https://rfef.es/es/noticias/parte-medico-de-salma-paralluelo) • [10](https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/futbol/femenino-a/noticias/4389598/comunicado-mdico-de-salma-paralluelo)
## Departure and move to OL Lyonnes
On 30 June 2026, Barcelona announced that Paralluelo would leave the club as her contract expired that day, after she decided not to renew.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp) • [4](https://efe.com/deportes/2026-06-30/salma-paralluelo-no-seguira-barcelona-proxima-temporada/) EFE reported that the club had presented a renewal offer, but the player chose to move on, with Arsenal, the London City Lionesses, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Lyon among her possible destinations.[4](https://efe.com/deportes/2026-06-30/salma-paralluelo-no-seguira-barcelona-proxima-temporada/) Her exit followed those of [Alexia Putellas](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexia-putellas), Mapi León and Ona Batlle, making her the fourth starter from the 2026 Champions League final to leave in a single summer of deep squad change.[4](https://efe.com/deportes/2026-06-30/salma-paralluelo-no-seguira-barcelona-proxima-temporada/) • [5](https://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/futbol-femenino/20260630/11579196/barcelona-confirma-salida-salma-paralluelo.html)
On 25 July 2026 she signed for OL Lyonnes, the Lyon women's side now under the ownership of [Michele Kang](https://www.edgepedia.org/michele-kang) and coached by her former Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez, on a contract running to 2030, her first club outside Spain.[3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/07/25/salma-paralluelo-deja-el-fc-barcelona-y-ficha-por-el-ol-lyoness-por-las-proximas-cuatro-temporadas-cadena-ser/) • [1](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/)
## References
1. [Salma Paralluelo ficha por el Olympique de Lyon hasta 2030, Cadena SER (26 July 2026)](https://cadenaser.com/aragon/2026/07/26/salma-paralluelo-ficha-por-el-ol-lyonnes-hasta-2030-radio-zaragoza/)
2. [Salma Paralluelo to leave FC Barcelona, FC Barcelona official (30 June 2026)](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/4528692/salma-paralluelo-to-leave-fc-barcelona/amp)
3. [Salma Paralluelo deja el FC Barcelona y ficha por el OL Lyoness por las próximas cuatro temporadas, Cadena SER (25 July 2026)](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/07/25/salma-paralluelo-deja-el-fc-barcelona-y-ficha-por-el-ol-lyoness-por-las-proximas-cuatro-temporadas-cadena-ser/)
4. [Salma Paralluelo no seguirá en el Barcelona la próxima temporada, EFE (30 June 2026)](https://efe.com/deportes/2026-06-30/salma-paralluelo-no-seguira-barcelona-proxima-temporada/)
5. [El Barça confirma la salida de Salma Paralluelo, La Vanguardia (30 June 2026)](https://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/futbol-femenino/20260630/11579196/barcelona-confirma-salida-salma-paralluelo.html)
6. [Oficial: Salma abandona el Barcelona, AS (30 June 2026)](https://as.com/futbol/femenino/oficial-salma-abandona-el-barcelona-f202606-n/)
7. [UEFA Women's Champions League 2022/23 Technical Report, Part One, UEFA](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0282-1858e5b21fc5-0ad43d26895e-1000/uwcl_technical_report_part_one_2022-23.pdf)
8. [UWCL Final: Paralluelo brace, assist, Sofascore Rating 10, Sofascore](https://www.sofascore.com/news/uwcl-final-paralluelo-brace-assist-sofascore-rating-10)
9. [PARTE MÉDICO: lesión en el ligamento lateral interno de la rodilla izquierda, RFEF (25 October 2025)](https://rfef.es/es/noticias/parte-medico-de-salma-paralluelo)
10. [Comunicado médico de Salma Paralluelo, FC Barcelona](https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/futbol/femenino-a/noticias/4389598/comunicado-mdico-de-salma-paralluelo)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Women's footballers › Surnames M to Y*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license