Valencia CF Femenino academy graduates take root in first team | OneFootball

Valencia CF Femenino’s academy pathway is becoming first-team reality, evidenced by Marta Mascarell’s consolidation and the recent debuts of Elena Sánchez and Noa Marchena.

According to Superdeporte, Mascarell joined in 2019 and debuted in Liga F at 16, and now holds a first-team registration for 2025/26. She views the club’s backing as significant and considers that registration more important than a debut, as it cements elite status.

The jump has not been instant. The first team demands greater intensity and professionalism, a shift the Academy prepares players for. Her first Liga F start, the derby at Levante, felt like a turning point with added responsibility.

This season she has become important for coach Mikel Crespo, scoring two Liga goals and one in the Copa. One league strike delivered three points against Cacereño, and the team sit high in the table in play-off spots for promotion.

Alongside Mascarell, academy products Sara Tamarit and Pauleta Sancho also hold first-team registrations, both captains and among the longest-serving. Their paths underline leadership and show the route is structural, not circumstantial.

On 1 February in Oviedo, Elena Sánchez made a memorable debut by scoring with her first touch. Days later, Noa Marchena, after 11 seasons in the set-up, played her first minutes against CD Alba Funda, reinforcing that the pathway is now present as well as future.

Source: Superdeporte