8 things to know about Mariona Caldentey

A dynamic Spanish midfielder and proven winner, Mariona Caldentey has consistently excelled on the international stage but how well do you know the latest summer signing?

Get to know our new number 8 with eight facts about her career so far.

Family influences

Born on March 19, 1996 in Felanitx, Mallorca, Mariona's love for football was inevitable. 

"I wanted to play football almost as long as I can remember. It was something we experienced a lot at home," she told Spanish newspaper, Marca. That family influence was particularly strong through her father, Miguel Angel Caldentey - a football coach and president of their local team, CE Felanitx. 

Mariona played both football and futsal throughout her childhood, winning leagues, cups and Balearic championships, before putting all her focus on women's football. 

Through the ranks

From then on, it was a rapid rise for Mariona. She joined her first women's senior team, UD Collerense, and was playing in Spain's highest league at the age of just 14. 

Mariona's time at the Mallorca club ended with 17 goals in 68 appearances and the midfielder soon caught the eye of the Primera Division winners, FC Barcelona. 

Barca beginnings

She officially joined FC Barcelona as a teenager back in 2014 and would go on to become one of the club's key players throughout her 10-year stay. 

The 18-year-old midfielder made an immediate impact in her first season, scoring 12 goals in 32 appearances before a knee injury sidelined her for six months.

Though four years older, Mariona joined the Catalan club in the same year as Laia Codina. Now, they'll be reunited in north London.

Goals, goals, goals

Across her 302 appearances for Barcelona, Mariona scored an impressive 114 goals, making her the fifth top scorer in the club's history. The most dramatic of these strikes came in the form of an extra-time winner in the 2018 Copa de la Reina final.

She also picked up a UWCL Goal of the Week award for her audacious strike from the halfway line against FC Rosengard in 2022.

Her final season at Barcelona was also her most prolific in front of goal, scoring 18 times across all competitions. Mariona was the top scorer in this year's Copa de la Reina, bagging six goals and an MVP award in the final. 

From the spot

As Barcelona's regular penalty taker, Mariona is cool, calm and collected from the spot. 

Back in the 2018/19 season, her spot kick against Bayern Munich secured a 2-0 win, sending Barcelona through to the UEFA Women's Champions League final for the very first time. Despite ultimately losing to Lyon in Budapest, Mariona and her teammates wouldn't have to wait long to get their hands on that prestigious trophy. 

Proven winner

Aged 28, Mariona has already had an illustrious career with 25 trophies to her name: three UEFA Women's Champions Leagues, six Liga F titles, six Spanish Cups, four Spanish Super Cups and six Catalan Cups.

She's played in all five Champions League finals Barcelona have reached, including the most recent victory over Lyon, where she played for 90 minutes. With their third UWCL title, Mariona was part of the historic Barcelona side that achieved the continental quadruple - the only Spanish side to ever do so. 

International caps

Mariona has represented her country since the youth level, starring for Spain's U17 side at the 2013 European Championship where they finished third. 

After rising through the ranks with eye-catching goals and performances at the U19 European Championship and U20 World Cup, a senior call-up arrived in 2017. 

Mariona made her debut off the bench in a 2017 Algarve Cup match against Japan - a tournament that the Spanish would go on to win - and her first international goal came just a few months later during a 4-0 win over Belgium.

She now has 72 senior international caps to her name. 

World Cup winner

Mariona's success isn't contained to club football, of course. 

She's a FIFA World Cup winner with her native Spain, after defeating England in the 2023 final. Mariona scored one goal in the tournament - a penalty in a quarter-final win over the Netherlands. 

Spain continued their success into 2024, proving victorious in the inaugural UEFA Women's Nations League. Currently ranked number 1 in the FIFA World Rankings, Mariona and her teammates will be looking for more glory this summer after qualifying for their very first Olympic Games.