“If you can dream it, you can do it,” the saying goes.
Colombian international and Washington Spirit midfielder, Leicy Santos, knows that figure of speech quite well.
“When I started playing soccer, I found
a different reality from the one I had dreamt of when I was a kid and started this dream,” Santos said.
The Colombian knew there would be challenges and sacrifice. Just like Marta, from Dois Riachos, Brazil, had to leave her hometown and family behind to pursue her dream of playing soccer professionally, Santos had to move to Bogotá all alone to play for Club Besser, and then the Bogotá National Team. Ultimately, her sacrifice was rewarded when she received her first call-up to the Colombian U-17 national team.
In 2015, Santos made the move to the United States where she played collegiate soccer and led Iowa Central Community College to a NJCAA title. After graduating, the midfielder moved back to her home country to play for Santa Fe, where she collected more trophies and received a call-up to represent Colombia in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the first Olympics of her career, at age 20.
As Santos continues to find success in the NWSL, she still remembers the struggle of playing the beautiful game in Colombia, even a decade ago.
“The reality was that women’s soccer had no support (in Colombia),” Santos said. “The national team had one coach for three different national teams, and we didn’t have camps during international breaks.”
And those were just the challenges on the field. There were also other important issues to deal with. In 2018, complaints of sexual and labor abuse, as well as homophobic and misogynistic behavior, were made in the Colombian league, and as a result, it was briefly cancelled. Because of this, the midfielder had to serve as a spokesperson for the players in meetings with the Colombian government.
Even with the matter eventually settled and league play resumed, Santos didn’t stay at Sante Fe longer because she was offered a contract with Atlético de Madrid in Spain. The Colombian continued to shine in Europe for the next three years, helping her team to win the Supercopa de España in 2021 and then the Copa de la Reina in 2023, among other personal recognitions.
Despite Santos’ success, she knows the hard truth for many soccer players, especially those from places like South America:
“Even when you think you’re where you want to be, you realize that the reality nowadays is that you cannot live off soccer your entire life,” Santos said. “You find lots of obstacles and even though nowadays they’re fewer, they keep existing.”
You can describe Santos as a hard-working player, one who has seen the best and the worst of worlds. After all, she was part of the transition Colombia went through over the last few years. Even though Colombia isn’t a top-10 team, they’re well-regarded now at the international level, most recently playing in the Copa América final against Brazil.
“I think everything we have accomplished was the result of talent, effort and conviction to actually want to achieve something,” Santos said. “Of course, we received some help but not from the ones we should have. That’s not ideal and we keep fighting to get better conditions and the things that we as players deserve and that other national teams have already gotten.”
That’s why Santos felt a big contrast when she arrived in Washington D.C. in 2024 to play with the Spirit. And when asked about her current club, she has only praise.
“I met a different world here,” Santos said. “A world where they actually believe in women’s soccer, where it is not only a sport but also a business. Here, players are valued and they give you the resources to develop and focus on what you have to focus on, that is, soccer. And that’s why I have felt a part of this club from day one.”
The midfielder didn’t have to wait long to play important games with the club. In her first few months in the Nation’s Capital, she played in the NWSL Championship against Orlando Pride in 2024 as well as the 2025 Challenge Cup Final in March.
“I will remember (the Challenge Cup Final) forever because, besides the free kick I scored, we had to deal with a lot of things the previous season,” Santos said. “Lots of injuries and many things made it impossible to have everyone available, but I feel the team deserved a title. That’s why I believe I will remember that match forever.”
While Santos keeps making a difference with her club, the league and her national team, she still can’t believe all that she has already achieved.
“I never imagined getting this far,” Santos said. “Nowadays, I dare to dream of nice things for myself. I feel capable of accomplishing big things now, not only on the soccer side but at a personal level.”
