Deyna Castellanos facts for kids
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Castellanos with Bay FC in September 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Deyna Cristina Castellanos Naujenis | ||
| Date of birth | 18 April 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Maracay, Venezuela | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Portland Thorns | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2016 | Escuela de Fútbol Juan Arango | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Florida State Seminoles | 82 | (48) |
| 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 | 10 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013–2016 | Venezuela U17 | 39 | (35) |
| 2018 | Venezuela U20 | 6 | (4) |
| 2018– | Venezuela | 38 | (22) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 08:39, 29 September 2023 (UTC) |
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Deyna Cristina Castellanos Naujenis (born on April 18, 1999) is a professional footballer from Venezuela. She plays as a forward for Portland Thorns FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She also plays for the Venezuela national team.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Deyna Cristina Castellanos Naujenis was born in Maracay, Venezuela. This city is located on the Caribbean coast. She was born on April 18, 1999.
College Football Journey
Deyna received a special scholarship to attend Florida State University. There, she studied journalism and played football. She has said that this experience changed her life. She played for the Florida State Seminoles for three years. During that time, she scored 48 goals in 82 games.
Professional Club Career
Playing for Atlético Madrid
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After college, Deyna decided not to join the NWSL Draft. Instead, she signed her first professional contract. On January 2, 2020, she joined the Spanish club Atlético Madrid. She signed a two-year deal with them.
Time with Manchester City
When her contract ended, Deyna moved to England. She joined Manchester City in the Women's Super League (WSL). She signed a three-year contract on June 3, 2022. She was seen as a very important new player for the team.
Deyna played her first game for Manchester City on August 18, 2022. It was a big 6–0 win in the UEFA Women's Champions League. She scored a goal from a penalty kick in that game. On September 18, 2022, she played her first WSL game.
Joining Bay FC
On January 26, 2024, Deyna moved to a new team in the NWSL. She joined Bay FC, which was a brand new team. She played in 20 matches for Bay FC in the 2024 season. She started 12 of those games and scored 2 goals.
Moving to Portland Thorns
On January 23, 2025, Bay FC announced that Deyna was a free agent. The very next day, she joined Portland Thorns FC, another NWSL team. She signed a two-year contract with an option for more time.
Deyna played her first game for the Thorns in the league's first match of the season. She started and played for 87 minutes. She scored her first goal for her new club on April 22. This goal helped the Thorns win 4–1 against NJ/NY Gotham FC.
International Career
Youth Teams
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In 2014, Deyna was part of the Venezuela U17 team. They finished fourth in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. They also came in second place at the 2014 Women's Youth Olympic football event.
Deyna won the Golden Boot at the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. She scored six goals, just like her teammate Gabriela García. She also scored seven goals at the 2014 Women's Youth Olympic football. She was the top scorer in the 2016 South American Under-17 Women's Football Championship with 12 goals. Deyna is the top goal scorer for the Venezuela U-17 women's team with 35 goals. She is also the all-time leading scorer in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup with 11 goals.
In January 2018, Deyna was called up to the Venezuela U-20 women's team. She scored three goals in the group matches of the 2018 South American Under-20 Women's Football Championship. She also scored one goal in the final stage of the tournament.
Senior National Team
In April 2018, Deyna joined the senior team. She scored in her very first game against Ecuador on April 5. Four days later, she scored four goals in an 8–0 win against Bolivia. In 2021, when she was 21, she became the team captain for the first time.
Off the Field
Deyna started a foundation to help girls in South America. This foundation supports gender equality and offers football scholarships.
She has also worked as a TV analyst for NBC and Telemundo. She covered the 2018 (men's) and 2019 (women's) FIFA World Cups. She also worked in Spain. Deyna 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 special because she was still playing in college at the time.
Honors and Awards
Team Achievements
Florida State Seminoles
- NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship: 2018
Atlético Madrid
- Supercopa de España Femenina: 2020–21
Personal Awards
- The Best FIFA Women's Player nomination: 2017
See also
In Spanish: Deyna Castellanos para niños
