Leicy Santos Bio
Leicy María Santos Herrera (born 16 May 1996) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National Women’s Soccer League club Washington Spirit and the Colombia national team. Santos was an NJCAA national champion with Iowa Central before joining Santa Fe in the new Colombian Women’s Football League in 2017. In 2019, she signed with Liga F club Atlético Madrid, where she won one Supercopa and one Copa de la Reina in five seasons with the club.
Santos made her full international debut for Colombia in 2014 and has represented her country at the 2016 and 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and multiple editions of the Copa América Femenina.
Early Life and Background
Leicy María Santos Herrera was born on 16 May 1996 in San Sebastián, a municipality of Santa Cruz de Lorica, in the Córdoba department of Colombia. She stands 1.59 meters tall and grew up in a household where soccer was already part of the family. Her father, Elizaith Santos, played the sport and had previously represented the Córdoba Under-20 National Team, and he encouraged Leicy to play from a young age. Her mother initially preferred that she focus on household responsibilities rather than the sport.
As a child, Santos played on boys’ teams and was often the only girl on the field at local tournaments. Her break came when César Correa, a friend of her father’s, spotted her talent and suggested she travel to Bogotá to try out for Club Besser, a club looking for female players. With the backing of her family and the Colombia women’s national team, she made the move to Bogotá with Correa. After six months of training, her parents relocated to join her, and she later helped coach Pedro Rodríguez build a women’s section at Club Besser. Strong performances with the club earned her call-ups to the Bogotá National Team and the Colombia Under-17 squad.
In 2015, Santos moved to the United States to play for Iowa Central Community College, where she joined the Iowa Central Tritons. In only her second match, she scored a hat trick, and the Tritons finished the season as NJCAA national champions after she assisted on the lone goal in the final against Eastern Florida State College.
Path to Professional Soccer
Santos remained with Club Besser in Bogotá through 2016, establishing herself as one of Colombia’s most promising young midfielders. Her play earned her a place on Colombia’s Under-17 and Under-20 setups and ultimately a spot in the senior squad. Her standout form at Iowa Central brought her back to South America with momentum and a championship pedigree.
After the Colombian Soccer Federation announced the creation of the Colombian Women’s Football League, amateur club Future Soccer formed an alliance with Santa Fe to build a professional team. Santos joined the project, and her performances in the National Women’s Club Championship in the Amateur Division quickly established her as one of the best players on the squad. That form translated into a senior national team call-up for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Leicy Santos Career
Early Career (2016–2017)
Santos debuted in the Colombian Women’s Football League on 19 February 2017 in a 3–0 victory over La Equidad. Less than a week later, on 26 February, she scored her first professional goal and first professional hat trick. Santa Fe went on to lift the first-ever women’s professional league title in front of 33,327 spectators at Estadio El Campín, a Colombian record for a women’s match, with Santos emerging as one of the central figures of the championship.
As national champions, Santa Fe represented Colombia at the 2017 Copa Libertadores Femenina. In the group stage, Santos scored twice in a 9–2 win over Club Deportivo ITA of Bolivia before the team was eliminated by Corinthians.
Santa Fe Era (2017–2019)
Santos returned from the 2016 Olympics and briefly joined Club Deportivo Generaciones Palmiranas for the 2016 Copa Libertadores Femenina, scoring a hat trick in a 7–0 win over Club Nacional of Uruguay before returning to Santa Fe.
In 2018, Santa Fe opened the season with a loss but bounced back with a 10–0 win in which Santos scored four goals. The club finished the regular season ranked first in the league and advanced past Cortuluá in the quarterfinals with goals from Santos in both legs before falling to Atlético Nacional in the semifinals. During the offseason, Santos served as the spokesperson for the professional players during negotiations with the Colombian Soccer Federation following complaints of sexual, labor, and discriminatory abuse, helping secure the league’s continuation. In 2019, limited appearances preceded her move to Europe.
Atlético Madrid Era (2019–2024)
Atlético Madrid announced the signing of Santos on 4 August 2019. She debuted on 7 September 2019 in a 1–0 win over Sporting de Huelva and scored her first goal for the club on 26 October 2019 in a 4–1 victory against Real Sociedad. Injuries to teammates elevated her into the starting lineup, and she finished the interrupted 2019–20 season with five goals and one assist in 20 league matches.
In the 2020–21 season, Santos recovered from COVID-19 to reclaim a starting role. On 15 December 2020, she became the first Colombian woman to score in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, finding the net in a 5–0 win over Servette. Atlético Madrid lifted the Supercopa in January 2021. The following season, she was named to the IFFHS CONMEBOL Best XI for 2022.
In the 2022–23 campaign, Atlético Madrid won the Copa de la Reina after a dramatic penalty shootout comeback against Real Madrid, though Santos missed the final through injury. In 2023–24, she remained a regular starter and helped the club finish third in Liga F, securing a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, before departing for the NWSL.
Washington Spirit Era (2024–Present)
Washington Spirit announced the signing of Santos to a three-year contract on 2 April 2024, with the deal running through 2027. She joined the squad after the conclusion of the 2023–24 Liga F season and wears the number 10 shirt.
On 7 March 2025, Santos struck an equalizing free kick in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup, helping Washington defeat the Orlando Pride on penalties.
Playing Style and Strengths
Santos is a crafty, technical midfielder known for her passing range, set-piece quality, and eye for goal from distance. Her vision and composure in tight spaces made her a creative hub at Atlético Madrid, where she produced key goals in both league play and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Santos’s signature moments are her hat trick in the very first Colombian Women’s Football League match for Santa Fe, her 2020 goal that made her the first Colombian woman to score in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and a lobbed strike against England goalkeeper Mary Earps in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals.
Leicy Santos Career Wins
Across her club career, Santos has collected trophies in three countries. With Santa Fe she won the inaugural Colombian Women’s Football League in 2017 and the league title in 2018. With Atlético Madrid she lifted the Supercopa de España Femenina in January 2021 and the Copa de la Reina in 2022–23.
Santa Fe Highlights
Santos scored on her professional debut matchday in February 2017 and helped Santa Fe capture the first professional women’s league title in Colombian history. Her four-goal performance in a 10–0 win during the 2018 season highlighted her importance to the championship-winning squad.
Atlético Madrid Highlights
Santos was part of the Atlético Madrid side that won the 2021 Supercopa and the 2022–23 Copa de la Reina, contributing goals and assists in both league and European competition throughout her five seasons in Madrid.
Leicy Santos Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Santos credits her father, Elizaith Santos, a former Córdoba Under-20 player, with introducing her to the sport and supporting her early development. The family relocated together to Bogotá so that she could continue her training at Club Besser.
Personal Life
Santos is the co-founder, with fellow Colombian footballer Lina Arciniegas, of Cacahuates, a company that produces and distributes nut creams. In 2021, she joined Common Goal, the player-led initiative pledging a percentage of income to social causes. On 1 July 2024, she announced her engagement to footballer Geral Matallana.
2025 Season Outlook
Entering 2025, Santos is firmly established in the Washington Spirit squad as a midfield creator and set-piece specialist. Her equalizing free kick against the Orlando Pride in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup suggests she will be central to the Spirit’s ambitions in both cup and league play.
With her contract running through 2027, the Colombian international has stability in Washington and the opportunity to push for silverware in the NWSL while continuing to feature for Colombia in upcoming international fixtures.