Carolina Santiago

Forward • Age 20 • #13

Carolina Silva Santiago is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a forward or right winger. She has represented Portugal at youth and senior international level.

Photo: IMAGO | HMB-Media

Fun Facts about Carolina

Discover more than stats. Get more of who she is.

Football wasn't actually her first sport. Carolina started out in athletics, although football was always her bigger passion.

She spent three seasons playing football alongside boys at Vilanovense. Carolina believes the experience helped her become tougher and more competitive because the boys were often physically stronger and more aggressive in challenges.

At just 14 years old, she moved away from her parents to Lisbon to pursue her football ambitions at Sporting CP. She later admitted that being away from her family made the beginning particularly difficult.

She celebrated her 18th birthday by scoring on her Valadares Gaia debut against Damaiense on 31 August 2024. Her goal helped secure a 2-0 victory, and she was named Player of the Match.

She has described herself as a footballer who loves taking opponents on one against one and refuses to give up on a challenge. Finishing chances and scoring goals are also among her favourite parts of the game.

In 2025, she described Sporting CP as a club where she had always felt at home, despite the sacrifices involved in leaving her family at such a young age.