Irene Paredes aiming for the Olympic Games and glory

Irene Paredes has reached 100 caps for Spain, a milestone she herself admits she did not expect to reach: "Nobody had ever done it before and we wondered if we would make it. Now there are three of us. And the fact is that only two of her friends and teammates are in the hundred club so far. Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso, who have accompanied Irene all the way throughout her career: "The friendship that Alexia, Jenni and I have goes beyond football. We've shared a lot of time both on and off the pitch".

Her secret to reaching 100 games has been perseverance and hard work, proving year after year that she had earned the right to wear the national team shirt. "I've had the backing of the coaches, I've been in good physical condition at key times, I've done well and that's what's allowed me to do everything I have.

She made her debut in 2011 against Romania, and although a lot of time has passed, there is still a lot of that 20-year-old who wanted to take on the world with a ball at her feet: "I came to the national team at the age of 20, with all that that entails. With that touch of youth, of wanting to learn, of looking at the older players, of trying to get some minutes.... Luckily, I've been given a lot of minutes since then and I still want to learn. In terms of ambition and desire, I'm still the same but with a bit more experience".

She is a real example to follow and that is why the players chose her as captain, a position she proudly accepted and when assuming the responsibility of leading a great group: "I take it as a nice responsibility. I'm also very well accompanied in captaincy. When your team-mates choose you, it's easier to get ideas through to them. It's a sign that they trust you. People here are very clear about it. They know where we're coming from, what we want and we have a group that works very well on and off the pitch.

As a child in the game, Irene didn't have many role models to look up to. At least not until she got older. However, children who are just starting to take steps in football can now follow in the footsteps of our world champions, who have made their way by having talent and clear goals: "I didn’t have any role models. I may have had them when I was a little older and from people a little older than me, but now it's positive that both boys and girls have us and know that it's possible to play in a World Cup and that it's possible to win it.

She also confessed to which of the eleven goals she has scored in her career with the national team was most special to her: "It's been a while since I scored, but perhaps the most recent one, the one at the European Championships. It was nice to score in a very important tournament and to be able to dedicate it to Alexia. As long as I can help the team I'm happy".

Finally, having won practically everything there is to win, she stated that she still has goals to achieve, although she made it clear that the first of these is to do well in the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Nations League in order to secure a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: "My short-term goal is to qualify for the Olympics and, of course, to go for glory there.