Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but also one of the most unequal. Despite the advances in recent years, women continue to face barriers and discrimination to practice it professionally. For this reason, the story of Deyna Castellanos is so relevant and admirable. In the casino you can bet on her or on any other player that you follow and admire from her. She is a Venezuelan soccer player who has managed to succeed internationally and become an example for many girls who dream of following in her footsteps.
Deyna was born on April 18, 1999 in Maracay, a city in northern Venezuela. Since she was little, she showed her passion and talent for soccer, playing with her brother Álvaro de ella and with other children in her neighborhood. At the age of 5, she was discovered by coach Jorge Riera, who invited her to be part of her team at the San Ignacio School of hers. There she began to stand out as a goalscorer, being the top scorer in different categories and winning the under-9 championship with the Aragua team.
In 2011 he went on to play with the Central University of Venezuela and won the 2011 Lima Cup in Peru. Starting in 2013, she followed her evolution in the academy of the former captain of the Venezuelan soccer team, Juan Arango, who praised her for her ability, power, and speed.
Her career took a leap when she was called up by the Venezuelan under-17 national team, with which she won two South American Championships (2013 and 2016) and participated in two World Cups (2014 and 2016), finishing fourth on both occasions. In these tournaments, Deyna demonstrated her quality and her scoring nose, scoring 14 goals in the South Americans and 11 in the World Cups, making her the all-time top scorer in these competitions. She also received the Bronze Ball, the Golden Boot and the Bronze Boot as individual awards. She was also part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.
In 2016, Deyna received a scholarship to study journalism and play soccer at Florida State University in the United States. There he continued his academic and sports training, winning the National University Championship in 2018 and scoring 48 goals in 82 games with the Florida State Seminoles.
In 2020 he made the leap to professional football by signing for Atlético de Madrid, one of the most important clubs in Spain and Europe. With the rojiblanco team, she played 58 games and scored 23 goals, being a key player in achieving runner-up in the league in 2021 and qualifying for the Women’s Champions League.
In 2022 he moved to England to play for Manchester City, another of the continent’s greats. With the English team, she debuted with a goal in the Champions League against Tomaris-Turan from Kazakhstan and became one of the leaders of the team led by Gareth Taylor.
At the senior team level, Deyna made her debut with Venezuela in 2014 and since then she has played 31 games and scored 16 goals, being one of the leaders of the team that seeks to qualify for a major World Cup for the first time.
Deyna Castellanos is not only an exceptional soccer player, but also a woman committed to equality and female empowerment. In 2017 she was nominated for FIFA’s The Best and Puskás awards, placing third in both. She was the first woman to be among the finalists for these awards, which are usually dominated by men. She is also an ambassador for FIFA and UN Women, and participates in campaigns and events to promote women’s soccer and girls’ rights.
Deyna Castellanos is an inspiring figure for Venezuelan and world soccer. His trajectory shows that with effort, dedication and passion the highest goals can be achieved. Her example encourages many girls to play the sport they love and fight for their dreams.
However, women’s football still has to face many challenges to achieve equality with men’s. One of them is wage inequality, which reflects the gap that exists in the labor market in general. According to the European Parliament, working women in the European Union earn 16% less per hour on average than men. In sport, this difference is even greater. In 2018, Neymar’s $40 million salary was equivalent to the annual salary of 1,693 women in the top women’s soccer leagues.
Another obstacle is the prejudice that still persists about women’s football, such as that it is less attractive, less competitive or less profitable than men’s football. These prejudices affect the visibility, sponsorship and support that soccer players receive, as well as their social and professional recognition. Many times, women have to deal with macho, sexist or discriminatory comments that question their ability or right to play football.
For this reason, it is important that there are successful figures like Deyna Castellanos who represent and inspire girls who want to practice this sport. It is also necessary to continue working to improve the working, economic and social conditions of soccer players, as well as to promote women’s football as an equally valid, dignified and exciting activity as men’s.
2023-07-12 20:20:53
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