Claudia Martínez stood frozen on the pitch as her Washington Spirit teammates swarmed around her, the roar of Audi Field echoing through the crisp D.C. air. Her smile widened as she soaked it all in—this was the moment she had been waiting for.
The 18-year-old forward had just scored her first NWSL goal, and she did it in style. As five defenders closed in, Martínez struck with her right foot, the ball ricocheting off an opponent into open space. Without hesitation, she fired again—this time with her left—sending the ball into the net for the Spirit's fourth and final goal in a shutout win over the Kansas City Current last weekend. She fell backward onto the turf, arms raised in triumph. History made.
"I went looking for it in every match, and finally, in that game, it happened," Martínez told The Athletic in Spanish during a video call. "At first, I couldn't believe it, but then I came back down to earth."
In that electrifying moment, the quiet teenager—known to many as Claudinha—became the first Paraguayan player ever to score in the National Women's Soccer League. It's a milestone that resonates far beyond the field, especially as the soccer world turns its eyes toward the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, the first edition of the tournament to be held in South America.
This is the second installment of our monthly series, "Soccer in ___," where we explore the women's game across the globe. After taking you to Colombia last month, we're now checking in with Paraguay's newest trailblazer.
Martínez signed a three-year contract with the Spirit in January, fresh off her 18th birthday, with a reported near-million-dollar transfer fee that stunned the NWSL offseason. Her arrival marked a historic moment for both the young star and her homeland, signaling that Paraguayan talent is ready for the world stage.
"I can assure you," Rodrigo Nogués, president of her former club Club Olimpia in Asunción, said at the time of her signing, "this is one of the most significant deals in Paraguayan women's football history."
For Martínez, the journey is just beginning—and she's already making every touch count. As the 2027 World Cup looms on the horizon, this teenage forward isn't just ready to play; she's ready to make history.