Uma Farisco Lago (12), Martina Benito Bazán (12) and Margarita Mirez Costa (15) have one thing in common: ever since they were little girls, they have dreamed of playing for the Spanish national soccer team and making match-winning saves at a World Cup. They were born in different places, but the pitch at Portmany, one of Sant Antoni’s soccer clubs, brought them together through the sport they love. They also share the same philosophy: never let mistakes hold you back from enjoying the game.
Martina was born in Buenos Aires and now lives in Cala de Bou, on Ibiza’s bay. She moved to the island when she was two and was already pulling on goalkeeper’s gloves by the age of three. Her role models were FC Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll and Argentine international Emiliano Martínez, better known as ‘Dibu.’ “When I was little, I picked up a ball and just started playing,” Martina says. She cannot explain exactly what drew her to soccer – it simply felt instinctive. For Uma, who was born in Ibiza, the inspiration was Lionel Messi. At age six, she was a goalscorer. But watching one of her teammates play in goal made her want to give it a try. She almost gave up, but seeing ‘Dibu’ play at the Qatar World Cup convinced her she wanted to stop goals instead.
From left to right, Marga, Uma and Martina, three promising young talents from the Portmany Sports Club youth academy in Sant Antoni (Ibiza).
A year earlier, Marga had started down the same path, inspired by her family’s passion for the sport. When she was younger, there were very few female goalkeeping role models, so it was the spectacular saves of Thibaut Courtois and Iker Casillas that first fueled her dreams. Today, she looks up to Real Madrid goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez and Lola Gallardo.
For Martina, the qualities needed to succeed at soccer are less about physical ability than mental strength. Learning not to give up after making mistakes has been one of the biggest lessons for her, and her teammates agree. For Uma, the hardest challenge was dealing with criticism from a teammate who told her she was “bad”. But being selected from 400 girls to represent Ibiza at Balearic level and compete in tournaments alongside some of Spain’s top clubs proved otherwise. Finding enough time to balance training and studying is another challenge, especially in what Margarita describes as one of soccer’s “loneliest” positions. She is currently in her third year of secondary school and says she has managed to combine both thanks to the support of her coaches and teachers. At the same time, she has competed at both Balearic and national level, showing that Ibiza is “not just about parties” but also a place with real sporting talent.
Martina’s careful organization has also earned her the chance to represent Ibiza in Balearic competitions, something she sees as “a responsibility”. Even so, she believes the most important thing is “to have fun”. One of her favorite memories on the pitch is making a spectacular save from a shot struck from the halfway line, keeping her team in the game.
Her dream today is an ambitious one: “To play in World Cups – lots of World Cups.” But always while enjoying the experience. That is also the advice she and Marga give to younger girls who are just starting out: “Enjoy it.” Uma, who dreams of playing for Barcelona and becoming Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper, has another message: “It doesn’t matter if you get picked or if someone is better than you. The important thing is to keep going.”
