Ana Tejada Bio
Ana Tejada Jiménez (born 2 June 2002) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder for the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Spain national team. A composed defender with a strong passing range, she has represented Spain across multiple youth levels and is a senior international. Standing at 1.70 m, she combines physical presence with technical ability, a profile that has made her a dependable option at both club and international level.
Early Life and Background
Ana Tejada Jiménez was born on 2 June 2002 in Logroño, the capital of the La Rioja region in northern Spain. She was raised in the small village of Lumbreras, also located in La Rioja, where she first developed her interest in football. Her early years in a region with a strong grassroots sporting culture helped shape her path toward a professional career in the women’s game.
As a young girl, Tejada joined the youth ranks of Logroño in 2015, beginning a structured football education that progressed quickly. She advanced through the club’s development system and was soon training with senior players, an environment that prepared her for the demands of top-flight competition. The local community in La Rioja followed her progress closely, and her rise became a point of regional pride.
Path to Soccer
Tejada’s progression through the youth ranks at Logroño was rapid. By the 2017–18 season, she had been promoted to the senior squad while still a teenager, an early sign of her maturity and tactical understanding. Her ability to read the game, distribute from the back, and compete in aerial duels made her a natural fit for the centre back role, though she has also shown comfort operating as a defensive midfielder.
Her performances in La Liga’s top flight drew attention from larger clubs, and in 2019 she completed a move to Real Sociedad, one of the leading clubs in Spanish women’s football. The step up to a club with consistent European experience marked a turning point in her development, exposing her to higher training standards and more demanding match environments.
Ana Tejada Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Tejada made her senior debut with Logroño in 2017, becoming one of the youngest players to feature in the Spanish Primera División. During the 2017–18 season, she was part of the squad that achieved promotion to the top flight in 2018, an accomplishment that cemented her reputation as a rising talent. At barely 16 years old, she was already the youngest active player in the Spanish top league.
Her displays in La Rioja earned her a move to Real Sociedad in 2019. The switch signalled the end of her formative years at Logroño and the beginning of a more demanding phase of her career, one that would test her against established internationals week in and week out.
Real Sociedad Breakthrough (2019–2024)
Tejada signed with Real Sociedad ahead of the 2019–20 season, joining a competitive squad based in San Sebastián. Her first campaign was interrupted by injury and then by the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, which disrupted the league calendar and limited her match minutes. Despite the setbacks, she used the period to adapt to her new surroundings and refine her game.
In the 2020–21 season, Tejada became a regular for the txuri-urdin, starting 24 matches and establishing herself as a reliable presence in the defensive line. Her composure on the ball, intelligent positioning, and willingness to step into midfield made her a valuable piece of the team’s system. She continued to feature prominently in the seasons that followed, becoming a familiar name in the Liga F and a respected figure within the squad.
Utah Royals Era (2024–Present)
On 22 April 2024, the Utah Royals announced that they had signed Tejada to a three-year contract, taking her to the United States for the first time in her professional career. The move marked her entry into the NWSL and represented a significant step in her development as a player competing on a global stage.
Tejada made her NWSL debut on 25 May 2024, starting in a 1–0 loss to the Kansas City Current. She adapted quickly to the demands of the American league, scoring her first goal for the Royals on 31 August in a 3–1 win over the Houston Dash. Three games later, she was awarded the NWSL Goal of the Week following a long-distance strike against Racing Louisville FC. She made 15 total appearances with Utah in 2024 as the team finished 11th in the league standings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tejada is a left-footed defender with strong distribution, capable of breaking lines with accurate medium and long passes. She excels in aerial duels, demonstrates smart positioning, and reads the game well, traits that allow her to operate effectively at both centre back and defensive midfield. Her calmness under pressure and willingness to step forward into possession have become defining features of her play.
Notable Events and Milestones
Tejada’s first senior NWSL goal and her Goal of the Week award stand out as early highlights of her time in Utah. Becoming the youngest active player in the Spanish top flight during her debut season with Logroño remains one of the most striking markers of her career trajectory.
Ana Tejada Career Wins
Ana Tejada has built a decorated resume at youth international level, contributing to several major tournament victories for Spain. Her honours reflect consistent success across multiple age groups, a testament to her long-standing place within the Spanish setup.
Spain Youth Honours
Tejada was a member of the Spain Under-17 squad that won the 2018 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship in Lithuania and followed it up with victory at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay. She was still eligible for the 2019 Under-17 Euros in Bulgaria, where she was again named to the Team of the Tournament, an award she had also received the previous year. She later added the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup to her list of titles, becoming a key figure in another successful Spanish youth campaign.
Other Performances
Beyond her international youth achievements, Tejada has been a regular contributor at club level, logging significant minutes for both Real Sociedad and the Utah Royals. Her consistent selection across multiple seasons reflects her standing as a trusted and dependable defender in top-flight competition.
Ana Tejada Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Ana Tejada’s immediate family is limited. She was raised in the village of Lumbreras in the La Rioja region of Spain, where her early years were spent before she joined the Logroño youth setup in 2015.
Personal Life
Tejada is known professionally by her full name, Ana Tejada Jiménez, and continues to focus on her football career. She signed a three-year contract with the Utah Royals in 2024, with the deal running through 2027.
2025 Season Performance
Entering 2025, Ana Tejada is in her second season with the Utah Royals and her second year competing in the NWSL. After a debut campaign in 2024 that produced 15 appearances, a first league goal, and a Goal of the Week award, she will be looking to build on those foundations and play a central role in the team’s defensive structure.
The Royals finished 11th in the NWSL standings in 2024, and improvement is the clear objective heading into the new season. Tejada’s ability to contribute both in defence and in possession from deeper midfield areas gives the club flexibility in how it sets up, and her comfort on the ball could be an asset in breaking opposition lines.
At international level, Tejada remains part of the senior Spain setup after making her debut in November 2022 as a substitute in a friendly against Argentina. With the 2025 calendar bringing continued NWSL competition and Spain’s qualifying and tournament commitments, she enters the year with momentum and an opportunity to consolidate her place on both fronts.