Deyna Castellanos facts for kids
.jpg)
Castellanos with Bay FC in September 2024
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Deyna Cristina Castellanos Naujenis | ||
| Date of birth | 18 April 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Maracay, Venezuela | ||
| Height | 1.70 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Bay FC | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2016 | Escuela de Fútbol Juan Arango | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2020–2022 | Atlético Madrid | 58 | (23) |
| 2022–2024 | Manchester City | 24 | (1) |
| 2024 | Bay FC | 20 | (2) |
| 2025– | Portland Thorns | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2013–2016 | Venezuela U17 | 39 | (35) |
| 2018 | Venezuela U20 | 6 | (4) |
| 2018– | Venezuela | 38 | (22) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Deyna Cristina Castellanos Naujenis (born 18 April 1999) is a talented Venezuelan professional footballer. She plays as a forward, which means she is a goal scorer. Deyna currently plays for Portland Thorns FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She also represents her home country, Venezuela, on their national team.
Contents
Deyna's Football Journey
Deyna was born on 18 April 1999 in Maracay, a city on the Caribbean coast of Venezuela. She started playing football at a young age.
Playing for College and Clubs
Deyna earned a special scholarship to study journalism and play football at Florida State University in the United States. She spent three years playing for the Florida State Seminoles. She says this time changed her life.
After college, Deyna signed a two-year contract with a Spanish club, Atlético Madrid, in January 2020. When that contract ended, she moved to England. She joined Manchester City in the Women's Super League (WSL) in June 2022. She was seen as a very important new player for the team.
Deyna played her first game for Manchester City on 18 August 2022. It was a big 6–0 win in the UEFA Women's Champions League. She even scored a goal! She then made her WSL debut on 18 September 2022.
In January 2024, Deyna moved back to the United States. She joined Bay FC, a new team in the NWSL. During the 2024 season, she played in 20 matches and scored 2 goals. In January 2025, she joined Portland Thorns FC, another NWSL team.
Playing for Venezuela
Deyna has also had a very successful career playing for her country, Venezuela.
Youth Teams
In 2014, she was part of the Venezuela under-17 team. They finished fourth in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. She was the top scorer in that World Cup with six goals! She also scored seven goals in the 2014 Youth Olympic football tournament. Deyna is the top goal scorer ever for the Venezuela U-17 women's team, with 35 goals. She also holds the record for most goals in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup with 11 goals.
In 2018, Deyna was called up to the Venezuela under-20 team. She was the only player to score for her team in the group matches of the 2018 South American Under-20 Women's Football Championship.
Senior Team
In April 2018, Deyna joined the senior national team. She scored a goal in her very first game against Ecuador. Just four days later, she scored four goals in an amazing 8–0 win against Bolivia! In 2021, when she was only 21 years old, she became the captain of the team for the first time.
Deyna Off the Field
Deyna is not just a great footballer; she also does important work off the field.
She started a foundation that helps girls in South America get football scholarships. This foundation also works to encourage gender equality.
Deyna has also worked as a TV analyst for big football events. She helped explain games during the 2018 men's and 2019 women's FIFA World Cups. She loves tattoos and had over 30 by 2022! In Venezuela, people call her Reina Deyna, which means "Queen Deyna." She learned English quickly while at Florida State University.
In 2017, Deyna was nominated for The Best FIFA Women's Player award. This was a huge honor for her.
Awards and Achievements
Deyna has won many awards and championships throughout her career:
Florida State Seminoles
- NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship: 2018 (This is a big college championship in the USA)
Atlético Madrid
- Supercopa de España Femenina: 2020–21 (This is a Spanish Super Cup for women's football)
See also
In Spanish: Deyna Castellanos para niños
