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Get to know all the players in the Argentinian squad for the 2023 Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
Goalkeepers
Vanina Noemí Correa
Date of birth: 14/08/1983
Club: Rosario Central (ARG)
Correa will be 40 this summer and is the only player still active to have featured in Argentina’s previous three World Cups in 2003, 2007 and 2019. Gave birth to twins – Luna and Romeo – in 2014 which led to her being out of the game for six years.
On her return she picked up where she left off and in the 2019 tournament she won praise from the England head coach Phil Neville, who described her performance against his side as “incredible”. “I’m the team captain,” Correa said. “I’m the oldest player in the team, so I try to be there for the others and offer advice. But I try to be on their level. I try to get involved with their dancing. I’m a terrible dancer, but I try.”
Laurina Oliveros
Date of birth: 10/09/1993
Club: Boca Juniors (ARG)
Born in Buenos Aires, Oliveros emigrated with her family to the United States, where she took her first steps in sports playing basketball before turning her attention to football. She started off as a striker but a coach suggested she try out in goal.
Her development was so rapid that when she returned to Argentina she was snapped up by one of the biggest clubs, UAI Urquiza. Known for quick reactions and a good leap, she has also added solid footwork to her game. She helped Boca to the Copa Libertadores final last year with two penalty saves in the semi-final shootout against Deportivo Cali.
Lara Esponda
Date of birth: 08/11/2005
Club: River Plate (ARG)
Like Laurina Oliveros her first steps in football were as a striker, but she quickly adapted to goalkeeping. Aged nine she joined River Plate and her first game in the First Division came at just 14 years old, making her the youngest player to debut in the top flight.
She has been with the national age group teams throughout, playing for Argentina’s Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20 sides and was called up to the senior side for the first time aged 16.
Abigaíl Cháves
Date of birth: 11/07/1997
Club: Huracán (ARG)
When Cháves was young, soccer was not a "girl thing" so she started playing volleyball, a sport that gave her many of the skills required for her current position. But before trying out in Boca as a goalkeeper, she played as a forward. This also gave her an advantage because she can now put herself in the mindset of a player who is about to strike at goal.
Cháves retains an ability to take free-kicks: she has scored great goals from set pieces, which has become her trademark. In addition, she is a goalkeeper with good height and a lot of security when taking crosses.
Defenders
Eliana Stabile
Date of birth: 26/11/1993
Club: Santos (BRA)
Nicknamed “La Zurda” (“The Lefty”), Stabile began her career at River Plate, but she has been a fan of their rivals since she was very young. "I’m a Boca fan and there came a time when I couldn't stand playing for River anymore," she said after deciding to join Boca in 2013, just after a Superclásico.
With Boca she became a fundamental pillar in defence and a set-piece specialist, winning four titles. In 2018 she joined Atlético Huila in Colombia where she won a Copa Libertadores before returning to Boca, leaving for Brazil and Santos last year.
Julieta Cruz
Date of birth: 04/06/1996
Club: Boca Juniors (ARG)
Born in Mendoza, Cruz travelled to Buenos Aires aged 17 to try out – successfully – for River, where she took her first steps as a footballer, leading to a call-up to the Argentina Under-20 side.
While at River she felt chest pain during a match and was diagnosed with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, a heart problem for which she had to undergo surgery. Two years later she returned to football with Boca, where she has established herself as an important player. Suffered a ligament injury in the Superclasico this April.
Aldana Cometti
Date of birth: 03/03/1996
Club: Madrid CFF (ESP)
Her love for football was inherited from her father and brother, both River fans, and although she began playing at the age of nine she gave the sport up to play hockey instead.
But in 2011 she returned to the game with Independiente before going on to have spells at River and Boca Juniors, then headed to Spain in 2016, where she has played ever since save for one season in Colombia. At the 2019 World Cup in France she lost a tooth during a clash against an opponent in the game against Japan.
Gabriela Patricia Chávez
Date of birth: 09/04/1989
Club: Estudiantes B.A (ARG)
The only girl among six brothers, Chávez has loved football since she was a child – a fact confirmed to her parents when they found one of her dolls without a head because she was using it as a replacement for the ball. “Gatito” usually plays at right-back but can play in midfield.
On one of her trips with the Albiceleste, she met Ronaldinho: “I asked him for a photo, like any soccer fan would, but he told me that if I didn't sit down and share a mate [tea] with him, he wasn't going to do it. I was surprised and we talked about everything. He is a great person and an idol.”
Celeste Dos Santos
Date of birth: 04/11/2003
Club: Boca Juniors (ARG)
Among the squad’s new faces, Dos Santos didn’t appear in Germán Portanova's squad until last April. Now, at just 19, she had the opportunity to wear the Albiceleste shirt with the senior side for the first time, having previously played Under-17 and Under-20 level.
Despite her lack of experience she has already grown into a key player at Boca, impressing on the left side with solid positioning, pace and intelligent decision-making. She’s also one to watch from set-pieces.
Adriana Sachs
Date of birth: 25/12/1993
Club: Santos (BRA)
Sachs started playing the game with her brother and quickly caught the bug: at the age of 12 she begged her mother to sign her up for a club in her city and then began taking her first steps up the ladder.
In 2011 she went from Estudiantes de Padua to Huracán before making the leap to UAI Urquiza. She was spotted by national scouts when she was barely 15 and had a strong career at youth level: runner-up in the South American Under-20s, playing in the Youth World Cup, Pan American Games and Copa América. This will be her second World Cup with the senior team.
Sophia Braun
Date of birth: 26/01/2000
Club: Club León (MEX)
Sophie, as everyone knows her, is from Beaverton, a town of 100,000 in Washington County. Her mother, Karina, was born in Buenos Aires and moved to the US aged 23 to study English, where she met Bill - Sophie came along soon after. A football fan from an early age, she went on to study Computer Science at Gonzaga University and began to compete in the university leagues.
Thanks to her performances there she was called up by Carlos Borrello in 2019 to play in the South American Under-20s tournament. “Being able to fight for the country my mum came from, and is so much of who I am, is really special,” she said. “Qualifying for the World Cup was incredible, seeing all the emotion from everyone was super moving – it was something I’ve dreamed about since I was six years old.” Plays her club football for Mexico’s Club León.
Midfielders
Vanesa Santana
Date of birth: 03/09/1990
Club: Free agent (last club Sporting Club de Huelva)
Santana had a tough upbringing: her mother had to take care of her and her four siblings with little money, and often went without meals so the children could eat. Football became an escape for Vanesa, who spent much of her childhood grafting for the family, working in a bakery, at a butcher’s, as a cleaner and selling ice cream.
But her talent with the ball was obvious, and at 14 she was taken on by Boca Juniors, and went on to build a glittering career. She made her national debut in the 2014 Copa América. "When they played the anthem I got chills,” she recalled. “I began to remember everything I went through to get there.”
Dalila Ippolito
Date of birth: 24/03/2002
Club: Parma (ITA)
Like the vast majority of female players in Argentina, Ippolito began playing for her neighbourhood club together with boys. She stayed there until she was 13, when she went for a trial at River. It went well and soon she was wearing the No 10 shirt. “The football in the neighbourhood taught me how to play,” she has said. “You needed to be streetwise and daring. The matches had everything: fast running, crashing into players, kicking.”
She clearly left a mark and the club she played for back home as she grew up, Jóvenes Deportistas, has named their stadium after her. In the 2019 World Cup in France she came on with 20 minutes to go against Scotland and with Argentina 3-0 down. She set up Milagros Menéndez for Argentina’s first goal with her first touch of the ball and by the time the referee blew the final whistle they had come back to draw 3-3.
Romina Núñez
Date of birth: 01/01/1994
Club: Deportivo UAI Urquiza (ARG)
Núñez is at her first World Cup, having become one of the key figures in the process that Germán Portanova started in 2021. After just a handful of appearances in the national side her teammates dubbed her "El Motorcito" - the little engine - a nickname shared with Rodrigo De Paul.
She inherited her love for the game from her father, who was a player in Tandil, Buenos Aires. "When I was little he played and took me,” she recalled. “When he warmed up I was allowed to kick the ball with him." She can operate anywhere down the left, solid defensively but also providing a serious attacking threat.
Daiana Micaela Falfán
Date of birth: 14/10/2000
Club: Deportivo UAI Urquiza (ARG)
Comes from a proper footballing family: Falfán’s parents and aunts all played the game. Like most girls in Argentina, she played with boys until she was 12.
She then played futsal for a season, and at the age of 15 was taken on by Deportivo Morón. From there she joined UAI Urquiza, one of biggest women's teams in Argentina, and has gone from strength to strength. She captained the Under-20s, and has grown into a key player for the senior side.
Miriam Mayorga
Date of birth: 20/11/1989
Club: Boca Juniors (ARG)
Mayorga has put the hours in to combine study and football: graduating as a doctor by studying in the morning and during the commute to training. "Sometimes I couldn't even eat because of the schedules,” she recalled. “Really, I ate and slept very badly."
But it worked out: with her career in medicine on hold for now, she has developed into a versatile player, able to operate in midfield or central defence. She made her international debut in 2017, was a silver medalist at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima and played in the World Cup in France the same year.
Maricel Pereyra
Date of birth: 11/05/2002
Club: San Lorenzo (ARG)
One of the youngest in the squad, Pereyra earned her place with eye-catching displays for San Lorenzo, where she has already emerged as a key player.
Her maturity, strength and intelligence have made up for her lack of experience, Key qualities include distribution and a reliable ability to recover the ball cleanly. One for the future, but also a real asset this summer.
Estefanía Banini
Date of birth: 21/06/1990
Club: Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Known for dribbling and a brilliant touch, the Mendoza-born Banini is one of Argentina’s elite players. She developed as a classic number 10, but since her arrival at Atlético she has featured on the wing, for club and country.
She was chosen as part of the women's XI at The Best awards ceremony in 2022, becoming the first Argentinian player to achieve that recognition. She’s no fan of her ‘Messi’ nickname, though. “It's very nice to be compared to one of the best players in the world, but I’d like people to start to know us by our names and to stop the comparisons; not just for me, but for everyone in women's football.”
Lorena Benítez
Date of birth: 03/12/1998
Club: Palmeiras (BRA)
Benítez had a hard time getting a game when she was eight - having to use the ID of classmates - Lorenzo, Lucas or Diego - to trick her way into the local boys’ team.
Her perseverance paid off and her progress in the game was rapid. She’s now known for her great positioning and vision, and is expected to be one of the pillars of the national side for years to come. She is the mother of twins, Renata and Ezequiel.
Chiara Singarella
Date of birth: 05/12/2003
Club: University of Alabama (USA)
Born in Mendoza, Singarella loved handball and football as a youngster, playing them to such a high standard that the international setups of both sports took an interest. The demands of both were too much though, so she eventually had to choose - and hasn’t looked back.
She won her first call-up to Argentina's Under-20s aged just 13, and scored on her senior international debut aged 18 against Colombia. She studies psychology at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Pre-match routine: “I always put my AirPods in and listen to Bad Bunny and other music. I don’t want to overthink about the game.”
Florencia Bonsegundo
Date of birth: 14/07/1993
Club: Madrid CFF (ESP)
'Bonse' made the leap to European football in 2018, and played a key role at international level a year later, scoring against Scotland in the third game of the World Cup group stage.
A creative, dynamic midfielder, she can also operate on the wing or even up front if the team is chasing a game in the last few minutes, making her a real asset for coach Germán Portanova.
Fabiana Vallejos
Date of birth: 30/07/1985
Club: Deportivo Cali (COL)
Vallejos knows what it takes to be a champion, with six titles at Boca Juniors and a Copa Libertadores at Colombia’s Atlético Huila on her long list of career honours.
Her potential was clear from the start: she was in the national under-19 side at the age of 15, and has been in the senior set-up since 2003, playing in the Pan American Games, winning gold at the 2006 and 2014 South American Games, and playing in the 2008 Olympics. A versatile midfielder who likes to lead creative moves and tee-up chances, this will be her third World Cup.
Milagros Martín
Date of birth: 26/04/2007
Club: Platense (ARG)
In 2019, aged 11, Martín was one of the 11,500 fans who watched the national team win their World Cup qualifying play-off against Panama. She took a photo there with Florencia Bonsegundo - and now, four years later, at 15 years old, is her international team-mate.
She made her senior Argentina debut in a friendly against Venezuela and earned her place for this tournament with her versatility, and readiness to adapt to any role in the middle or out wide.
Camila Gómez Ares
Date of birth: 26/10/1994
Club: Universidad de Concepción (CHI)
Gómez Ares made her River debut at just 14, and the same year won her first call-up to the national under-17s.
Aged 16 she was in the under-20s, playing her first South American Championship and her first World Cup, and in 2014 at 20 earned her senior debut, playing in the America Cup. Her rapid progress is down to her versatility and box-to-box energy: she arrives in the opposition box at crucial moments, but is just as effective in a defensive role.
Agostina Holzheier
Date of birth: 30/09/2003
Club: Grêmio (BRA)
Holzheier was born in Crespo, Entre Ríos, where her passion for football began. Although it was not only about passion, but also perseverance and good conditions: Holzheier became a champion in her city and a notable goalscorer.
In 2017, at the age of 14, she received her first call up to the Argentina Under-17 team and in May 2021 she moved to River Plate. That same year she was called up to the national team and made her senior debut. Holzheier is direct, fast, likes to play on the wings and when she steps into the area she has the temperament of a player with years of experience.
Forwards
Yamila Rodríguez
Date of birth: 24/01/1998
Club: Palmeiras (BRA)
Rodríguez cherished the Boca shirt her mum bought her as a youngster – and went on to live the dream, celebrating the title four times with the club she loves. Today she ranks among the most well-known players in South America and has been key to Germán Portanova’s set-up since he took over as coach.
She caused a stir in February by celebrating a goal against Chile with a Cristiano Ronaldo trademark ‘nap’ celebration, standing with her eyes closed and hands on her heart. She also has a Ronaldo tattoo - brave in a pro-Messi nation. “I absolutely like everything about him. He is, without a doubt, the best player in the world. I watch him play and think: how can he be so perfect? He surprises me with everything he does,” she told Olé. “With this tattoo I now have Cristiano with me forever. Wherever he goes.”
Mariana Larroquette
Date of birth: 24/10/1992
Club: Orlando Pride (USA)
Larroquette started playing football aged six with her grandfather, and was always destined to play up front. "I spent the afternoons playing with him and it was great because he was a goalkeeper, so all I had to do was shoot.”
At the age of 14 she was called into Argentina’s youth ranks, and has been in the national set-up ever since, becoming one of the most recognised faces and starring in marketing campaigns alongside Lionel Messi and doing some passes with him at Maxi Rodríguez farewell game. A prolific, experienced forward, and one to watch this summer.
Marianela Szymanowski
Date of birth: 31/07/1990
Club: Rayo Vallecano (ESP)
Born in Buenos Aires, Szymanowski moved with her family to Spain aged 10, and caught the eye at junior level. She signed for Atlético de Madrid in 2008, but three years later sustained a horrible knee injury, rupturing both menisci and damaging the entire joint.
It put her out of action for two and a half years, but, supported by her brother Alexander, also a footballer, she worked hard, rebuilt her strength and set about proving herself all over again. An explosive striker, full of pace and guile in a one-on-one, she has been part of the national set-up since 2014.
Paulina Gramaglia
Date of birth: 21/03/2003
Club: Red Bull Bragantino (USA)
Last year named on a Next Generation list of the 20 best prospects in women’s football, Gramaglia made her senior club debut with Talleres aged just 13, and at 17 was captaining the national side’s Under-17s.
Two years later she moved from UAI Urquiza to NWSL side Houston Dash, initially on loan, then in a permanent deal, making her the first Argentinian female player to be sold abroad. In July last year the then 19-year-old became Houston’s youngest player, coming on as a sub against Chicago Red Stars. They loaned her to Brazil’s Red Bull Bragantino in February, giving her more regular starts and a chance to make this summer’s squad.
Érica Lonigro
Date of birth: 06/07/1994
Club: Rosario Central (ARG)
A late starter, Lonigro only decided to dedicate herself to football aged 23, having spent her early adulthood working at a cleaning company, at a gym and doing laundry “just to be able to eat”. She tried out at Rosario Central, and they signed her without hesitation after seeing her potential – though it took a while to find her natural role.
“When I arrived at Central I didn’t have a defined position,” she recalled. “I just ran everywhere until coach Roxana Gómez found me a position in which I feel comfortable.” She went on to become one of Rosario’s top scorers, and is known for her power and intelligence on the ball. She first earned a national call-up in 2021, while her only official competition before this summer was last year’s Copa América Femenina.
Estefanía Palomar
Date of birth: 07/01/2003
Club: Boca Juniors (ARG)
Palomar started out playing futsal and earned international recognition, but changed disciplines in 2018. “But I love both of them,” she says. “Wherever there is a ball, my heart is there.”
She has proven herself at Boca, and at 1.78m tall, has power, precision and confidence. She showed enough with her club to earn a first call-up to the national squad in April this year, and offers coach Germán Portanova a different option to change a game.
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