Irene Paredes: United States is a challenge and Alexia leaves Barça

From Washington, captain Irene Paredes, born in Legazpi in 1991, gave an exclusive interview to AS while the Spanish national team prepares for two upcoming high‑level matches against the United States, eight months before the World Cup in Brazil.

National Team's View against the United States

The friendly against the world power is, according to Paredes, a test that shows where the team stands. "They used to seem unattainable and not anymore, now we look at them eye to eye," she said. She notes that the U.S. bench is led by Emma Hayes, a coach who wants to win over the Spanish team, while they "are eager to beat them."

Regarding the quality of the opponent, the captain insists they are still "the best in the world, very physical players, with a lot of talent." When asked whether the United States team is less fearsome than in the era of Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd, she replies: "No, not at all. At that time people talked about them because their level was higher than the rest. Today we are more evenly matched, they have rejuvenated, but the same respect remains."

Spain has only beaten the U.S. once and recalls a controversial match at the World Cup in France, where "there were several decisions and we went home with a bad taste in our mouths." Paredes does not blame the referees, but emphasizes that "the moment was like that, now we are in a different moment."

Internal Challenges and Future

Regarding the squad’s dynamics, the captain highlights that "there are players who change, but the team remains complete" and that the goal is still to reach the World Cup and defend the title in Brazil. "I hope I can be on that list and I hope I can go to Brazil," she said with hope.

On motherhood, Paredes acknowledges that the only privilege is family support: "My family supports me a lot, the home matches are always there and that gives me extra strength." She adds that being a mother involves "many difficult situations, in the end we live off our bodies, rest, what we eat" and that her partner Lucía, also an elite athlete, understands her needs.

"There has been some stir, yes. I think it’s good that these topics are discussed, it’s a subject that hasn’t been talked about for a while, but that is part of everyday life"

At Barcelona, the captain acknowledges that "the results have spoken" despite four players leaving the starting eleven this year. However, she highlights the additions from the B team and the work at La Masía, which has allowed the club to "keep winning and winning well."

After the classic at the Camp Nou, where Barça "routed again," Paredes commented on Real Madrid: "It’s great to compete, to win, to be better. Madrid has strengthened, it’s a better team than last year. If we played again, I don’t think the same result would happen."

When commenting on Alexia’s decision to leave Barça, the captain recalls: "It wasn’t something overnight. She thought about it a lot and told me in advance. I tried to convince her to stay in every way possible." She acknowledges the sadness over the departure, but also the joy that Alexia made the decision calmly and continues to be "the engine of all the change" at the club.