Aged just 16 years, five months and two days (for comparison’s sake, Lionel Messi was 17 years, three months and 22 days), teenage Catalan phenom Claudia Pina made her league debut for FC Barcelona Femeni Sunday in the club’s 2-0 victory over Zaragoza.
Pina has been a revelation for Barcelona throughout her La Masia rise, and her exploits for Spain at the U-17 level have been remarkable, to say the least.
[RÈCORD DE PRECOCITAT EN EL DEBUT]
*Des de la professionalització #FCBFemeni (2015) pic.twitter.com/5WCmHVOLen
— FCB Femení (@FCBfemeni) January 15, 2018
She became a viral sensation almost a year ago today when she scored this stunning individual goal in a youth match against derby rivals Espanyol.
Pina flourished throughout 2017 with Spain’s U-17 side, and her tally of 16 goals (including seven in Spain’s 22-0 victory over Macedonia) saw her finish as UEFA’s top scorer in all men’s or women’s national-team competitions for the year.
Congratulations Claudia Pina of @FCBfemeni and @SeFutbol - at 16 the top scorer of 2017 in all men's or women's @UEFA national-team competitions https://t.co/OTGfKJZgAr: see her #WU17EURO semi-final goal against the Netherlands pic.twitter.com/50J7eQb3XD
— UEFA Women's EURO (@UEFAWomensEURO) December 8, 2017
Pina’s senior Barcelona debut is another remarkable achievement for the phenom. The club are currently tied with Atletico Madrid at the top of the Primera Division, into the quarterfinals of the Champions League and boast the attacking talents of England’s Toni Duggan, Brazil’s Andressa Alves, Spain’s Barbara Latorre and Holland’s Lieke Martens, but Pina was still able to force her way into manager Fran Sanchez’s plans.
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