Claudia Zornoza

For the Peruvian badminton player, see Claudia Zornoza (badminton).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Zornoza and the second or maternal family name is Sánchez.
Claudia Zornoza
Claudia Zornoza with Utah Royals in 2025
Personal information
Full name Claudia Zornoza Sánchez
Date of birth (1990-10-20) 20 October 1990
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2010 Pozuelo
2010–2011 Rayo Vallecano 15 (4)
2011–2014 Atlético de Madrid 76 (24)
2014–2017 Valencia 75 (11)
2017–2018 Real Sociedad 30 (7)
2018–2021 Levante 48 (5)
2021–2024 Real Madrid 80 (8)
2024–2025 Utah Royals 34 (3)
Total 358+ (62+)
International career‡
Spain U-19
2016–2023 Spain 13 (0)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Spain
FIFA Women's World Cup
Winner 2023 Australia–New Zealand
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 02:30, 4 November 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 15:55, 23 June 2024 (UTC)

Claudia Zornoza Sánchez (born 20 October 1990) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. She made over 300 appearances in Liga F for Pozuelo, Rayo Vallecano, Atlético de Madrid, Valencia, Real Sociedad, Levante, and Real Madrid. She represented the Spain national team on 13 occasions and was part of their squad that won the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She retired with the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Club career

Zornoza started playing football at the age of four.[1] She made her debut in the Spanish first division in 2008 with CF Pozuelo. Two years later, she joined Rayo Vallecano, with whom she won the Spanish league in 2011.[2] She then entered the Champions League the following season, but suffered a cruciate ligament rupture.[3]

Zornoza then played for Atlético Madrid, then signed for Valencia CF, where she injured her cruciate ligament again in 2015. In 2017, she refused to sign for Levante UD, the Valencian rivals, and preferred to play for Real Sociedad. She eventually joined Levante UD the following season.[4]

In 2021, she joined Real Madrid. For the club's first European campaign, she scored the qualifying goal for the group stage against Manchester City.[5] Then, in the quarter-finals, she scored a goal at Camp Nou against FC Barcelona.[6] She stood out as the centerpiece of the midfield of the casa blanca.[7]

On 12 July 2024, American club Utah Royals announced that they had signed Zornoza through 2025 with an option for 2026.[8] On 25 September 2025, Zonroza and Utah Royals announced that she would retire after the 2025 season.[9] She played the final match of her 21-year long career in the Royals' last game of the season, which was a victory over the Washington Spirit on November 1, 2025.[10]

International career

Zornoza made her senior international debut in March 2016, starting a 0–0 friendly draw with Romania in Mogoșoaia.[11][12] She was named to the squad for the 2023 World Cup.

Honours

Rayo Vallecano

Spain

References

  1. ^ "7 cosas que no sabías sobre Claudia Zornoza". Planeta Real Madrid (in Spanish). 8 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Who is Claudia Zornoza, figure of the Real Madrid Femenino". 4 April 2022.
  3. ^ MARCA.com. "An angel who does mischief with the ball". MARCA (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  4. ^ ros, cayetano (4 December 2020). "Claudia Zornoza: "Siempre me he tenido que ganar el respeto"". Las Provincias (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  5. ^ Thomas (8 September 2021). "Les féminines du Real Madrid entament leur histoire avec la Ligue des Champions". Real France (in French). Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  6. ^ Shah, Parshva (5 August 2022). "Claudia Zornoza Nominated For Golden Foot 2022". Managing Madrid. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Claudia Zornoza, la gran pieza indiscutible en el Real Madrid". Diario AS (in Spanish). 7 November 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  8. ^ rsl. "Claudia Zornoza Signs With Utah Royals FC Through 2025 | Utah Royals". rsl. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Media Availability - Utah Royals FC - Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets". Salt City FC Youtube Channel.
  10. ^ "Claudia Zornoza cierra su carrera profesional con una victoria". MARCA.com (in Spanish). 3 November 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  11. ^ "4 newcomers to the Spanish squad". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 5 March 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  12. ^ Perelló, Joan Antoni (4 June 2022). "Claudia Zornoza, unos años para recordar". VIP Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 August 2023.
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