Cata, Eva and Salma: the "Nefelibata” Generation bursts into the World Cup

The first day of December in 2018 changed the history of Spanish women's football as well as the lives of three underage players at the time.

Catalina Coll, Eva Navarro and Salma Paralluelo in Montevideo were part of the first Spanish Women's National Football Team to become world champions.

It happened in the under-17 category, and before Salma also won the World Cup in the under-20 category with Cata and Eva earning silver medals in that age group as well. Perhaps because of that ability to dream of memorable victories, goalkeeper Cata Coll has had the word "Nefelibata” tattooed on her right forearm since childhood: "I simply fell in love with that word because it means dreamer, and I believe that's something that defines our generation  due to our ambition to achieve great things."

Now, the three football players who represent the team that won the first Women's World Cup for Spanish football burst into the national team with the same enthusiasm, excitement, and a much greater awareness of the global significance of the event in New Zealand.

"I think the most beautiful thing has been going through this journey together," says Salma, for whom "Cata and Eva are like my older sisters," something that the striker from Murcia confirms, as she believes that "being the first generation to become world champions is a way to pave the way for those who come after us."

The young trio of stars from the National team, along with their twenty teammates, are embarking on a World Cup with the utmost ambition: "We are going to try to achieve something great, and I believe we will succeed." Words of dreamers.