Female media student on par with Messi, Ronaldo

Which name created the most surprise at the FIFA 2017 individual awards ceremony that took place early on October 24 (Vietnam time) in London? That was 18-year-old Venezuelan student Deyna Castellanos.

Castellanos received the Bronze Boot award at the 2017 U-17 World Cup. Photo: SI

Castellanos has attracted attention largely because of her... anonymity. Indeed, aside from her native Venezuela, the only community in which the 18-year-old is widely known is the NCAA, where she plays for Florida State University. That also means Castellanos is not a full-time professional player, although she is a member of the national team.

Castellanos’ first memorable milestone in her football career was when she shone at the 2014 U-17 World Cup at the age of 15. Not long after, Castellanos shone again, helping Venezuela win the runner-up position in football at the 2014 Youth Olympics, then continued to win the Bronze Boot at the 2016 U-17 World Cup. Her excellent performance in the youth teams earned her an early call-up to the national team at the age of 15, along with a scholarship to Florida State University.

Although a series of famous female players such as Lisa De Vanna, Caitlin Foord, Kelley O'Hara... commented sarcastically on social media about Castellanos' appearance at the FIFA awards ceremony, the positive reactions, admiration, and respect for Castellanos were still overwhelming.

FIFA's selection also shows that the value of college sports is increasingly being respected, especially the NCAA tournament system has long been famous for owning world champions such as Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel... And like Ledecky, although she is famous for her football career, Castellanos did not choose to study sports. She is currently a second-year student majoring in communications at Florida State University.

FIFA had its reasons for choosing Castellanos over a host of other big-name professionals. Who would dare say Castellanos doesn’t have the potential to reach the level of Lloyd or Martens – two of the most famous names in women’s football – once she shined at the U-17 World Cup at the age of 15?

Castellanos doesn’t play, or hasn’t played, in the professional leagues because American universities have rules that prohibit students from accepting sponsorship deals or playing for professional teams. But despite that, there are still many famous athletes who choose the NCAA over the professional leagues.

According to TTO