Spain: Mapi León
At the age of 22, Mapi Leon entered the history books when Barcelona prized her away from Atletico Madrid for $56,000, making Mapi the first paid transfer in the history of Spanish women’s football. In her first season, Barcelona celebrated a Queen’s Cup triumph and the club subsequently made its first-ever appearance in the Champions League final this campaign.
Mapi immediately catches the eye with her defensive ability, but also because of her love for tattoos, including one across her throat that says ‘looks can be deceiving.’
Mapi doesn’t go anywhere without a sketchbook, and teammates frequently ask her to do sketches for tattoos, an occupation that she’d like to dedicate herself to in the future. Her first tattoo was done at the age of 17, and she put it on her foot so that her parents couldn’t see it and get mad.
If Spain wins the World Cup, she plans on getting a silhouette of the country with the date inside.