María Paula Salas

María Paula Salas
Salas with Costa Rica U20 in 2022
Personal information
Full name María Paula Salas Zúñiga
Date of birth (2002-07-12) 12 July 2002[1]
Place of birth San José, Costa Rica
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Saprissa FF
2019–2022 Alajuelense FF (28)
2022 ChievoVerona Women FM
2022–2023 Monterrey 10 (0)
2023–2025 Atlas 50 (23)
2025–2026 Fenerbahçe 19 (15)
International career‡
Costa Rica U20
2018– Costa Rica 9[2] (2)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Costa Rica
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place2019 LimaTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:59, 16 October 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 July 2019

María Paula Salas Zúñiga (born 12 July 2002) is a Costa Rican footballer who plays as a forward for the Costa Rica women's national team.

Club career

Born in San Ramón, Salas began playing club football with Saprissa FF before transferring to Alajuelense FF in 2019.[3][4] She led Alajuelense FF to the 2021 Clausura Costa Rican Women's Premier Division title by scoring a hat-trick in the club's 3–1 second leg victory (5–2 on aggregate) over Saprissa FF, capping the club's first ever undefeated championship.[5] Salas was Alajuelense FF's all-time leading scorer with 28 goals,[6] and had scored 70 league goals by age 19.[7]

Salas joined ChievoVerona Women FM in January 2022, and made her Serie B Femminile debut as a second half substitute against Palermo Women on 28 February 2022.[8]

International career

Salas appeared in two matches for Costa Rica at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship.[1][2]

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.21 July 2018Estadio Moderno Julio Torres, Barranquilla, Colombia Jamaica2–12–12018 Central American and Caribbean Games
2.27 August 2018IMG Academy, Bradenton, United States El Salvador11–011–02018 CONCACAF Women's Championship qualification
3.6 August 2019Estadio Universidad San Marcos, Lima, Peru Colombia3–33–4 (a.e.t.)2019 Pan American Games
4.25 June 2022Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica Haiti1–02–1Friendly
5.5 July 2022Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico Panama2–03–02022 CONCACAF W Championship
6.4 December 2023SKNFA Technical Center, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis1–019–02024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup qualification
7.3–0
8.4–0
9.5–0
10.7–0
11.12–0
12.13–0
13.6 April 2024Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica Peru2–05–1Friendly
14.3–0
15.27 November 2024Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo, Cancún, Mexico Panama1–21–2
16.8 April 2025Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica Ecuador3–33–3
17.27 June 2025BMO Field, Toronto, Canada Canada1–01–4
18.21 October 2025Cementos Progreso Stadium, Guatemala City, Guatemala Panama2–12–12025 Central American Games
19.25 October 2025 El Salvador1–01–0
20.10 April 2026Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica Cayman Islands10–021–02026 CONCACAF W Championship qualification
21.17–0
22.18–0

References

  1. 1 2 "Costa Rica". CONCACAF Women's Championship. CONCACAF. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 María Paula Salas at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  3. ↑ "Alajuelense Codea ficha a la goleadora de Saprissa" (in Spanish). La Nación. 23 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "Salas: I think about the World Cup every day". FIFA. 12 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "María Paula Salas vivió la final que siempre soñó con Alajuelense" (in Spanish). La Nación. 14 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Alajuelense tiene nueva goleadora histórica" (in Spanish). La Nación. 2 December 2022.
  7. ↑ "Jugadora de Alajuelense tiene 70 goles en Primera División con 19 años" (in Spanish). La Nación. 16 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "TRE GOL E TERZO POSTO: IL CHIEVO SI IMPONE SUL PALERMO". calciofemminileitaliano.it (in Italian). 28 February 2022.
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