Vicky López, the phenomenon that Barça recruited thanks to a holiday in Benidorm

BarcelonaReality sometimes surpasses fiction, and Vicky López's story could be the script of a film worthy of a Gaudí Award. Besides having talent—and the Madrid-born player certainly has it—you also need that element of luck, of being in the right place at the right time, and, almost by chance, Vicky had it. More than ten years later, she has become one of the most promising players in women's football and the current winner of the Kopa Trophy, which recognizes the best under-21 player. When she accepted the award, the Barcelona player wanted to say a few words about Alba Mellado, the woman who discovered her, whom she described as her "mentor and teacher." The former footballer explained to ARA that it was one of the most special nights for her. "I am very grateful and proud of Vicky; many people don't remember those who were there at the beginning."

Whether on the wing or in midfield, Vicky López has become a key player this season. Her versatility has allowed her to start in fifteen of the twenty-one matches played so far. But that's not all; the nineteen-year-old has contributed eight goals and seven assists. "It's not easy to move players from midfield to the wing because their level of involvement is lower, but in our matches we need energetic wingers, and Vicky has that," Pere Romeu emphasized in a press conference when asked about the Madrid native's change of position to right wing.

A new position at the elite level, but one that Vicky had already tried as a child, albeit on the left. "If Pedro has put me there, it's because he believes I can help the team in this position. The adaptation hasn't been easy, but I'm proud of how I'm developing. I ask Graham Hansen for a lot of advice," said the player, who at just nineteen years old has already surpassed one hundred appearances in the Barça jersey. "She's trained for many years in wide positions, where she can make that final pass or finish the play herself. If she ever plays on the left, I'm sure she'll be even more daring," Mellado analyzes.

From Benidorm to Madrid and from Madrid to Barcelona

The former footballer and youth coach of Madrid CFF was immediately struck by her. "We were in Vallecas. She played on a boys' team and she stood out; she was very fast and understood the game perfectly. They mostly played her at center back because she had good ball distribution. I explained the project we had at Madrid CFF to her grandmother, who was with her, but they never contacted us," he recalls.

But life gave her a second chance; a talent like Vicky's couldn't be missed. That summer, they met by chance in Benidorm. At first, he thought it was impossible that it was her, but on the third day they met, he approached her to ask if she was Vicky from Vallecas. And, indeed, she was. After initially dismissing her, Mellado decided to win her over by making sure she had a good time. "I bought a boat for the remaining days in Benidorm and we played in the waves until he said he'd had such a good time that he agreed to come to Madrid CFF."

At that time, Vicky was a little girl of about eight who could never have imagined reaching the top so quickly. In the summer of 2022, at just sixteen years old, she signed for Barça and, despite having a reserve team number, she made her debut that season with the first team under Jonatan Giráldez. Despite her youth, Mellado says she has always had a character that made her seem more mature than her teammates: "She's a very humble, hardworking person, always smiling, and she knows exactly what she wants." Her family—who have always been there for her and made sacrifices so she could fulfill her dream of becoming a footballer—has been key throughout this process. Fame hasn't taken Vicky by surprise. "Since she was little, she's always attracted attention. Everyone noticed her and talked about her; she's always lived with it, and you end up getting used to it. She takes it all in stride, keeps working, and doesn't let it go to her head," Mellado concludes.