Leicy Santos

Santa Fe and Generaciones Palmiranas (2016–2019)

In 2016, alongside the announcement of a new Colombian Women's Football League, Santa Fe formed an alliance with the amateur club Future Soccer to build a professional women's team. Santos played for the side in that year's national amateur club championship, in which it went unbeaten through 26 matches before losing in the semi-finals, and was regarded as one of its best players. Her form earned a call-up to Colombia's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. After the Olympics, Santos temporarily joined Club Deportivo Generaciones Palmiranas for the 2016 Copa Libertadores Femenina. She made her debut on 7 December against Bolivia's San Martín de Porres, and three days later scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 win over Uruguay's Nacional. Generaciones Palmiranas went out after a draw with Brazil's Foz Cataratas, and Santos returned to Santa Fe for the first professional season. Santos made her professional league debut on 19 February 2017 in a 3–0 win over La Equidad. A week later, on 26 February, she scored her first professional goals, completing a hat-trick. Santa Fe won the inaugural league title in front of 33,327 spectators at Estadio El Campín, a record crowd for women's football in Colombia, and Santos was widely named as the team's standout player. As champions, Santa Fe entered the 2017 Copa Libertadores Femenina; Santos scored twice in a 9–2 group-stage win over Bolivia's Club Deportivo ITA, but the team was eliminated…

Youth

Santos was selected for Colombia's under-17 and under-20 teams in 2012 and 2013, and won a gold medal with the under-20 side at the 2013 Bolivarian Games in Peru.

2014–2016: First tournaments

Santos received her first senior call-up in 2014. Listed as a Club Besser player, she was named in the 22-player squad for the 2014 Copa América Femenina in Ecuador. Colombia finished second behind Brazil after a goalless draw between the two in Quito on 28 September, and qualified for both the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. At the World Cup in Canada, the 19-year-old made her tournament debut as a substitute, as understudy to Yoreli Rincón. She also played at the 2015 Pan American Games, where Colombia lost the final 4–0 to Brazil in Hamilton, Ontario, to take silver. On 14 July 2016, she was named to the squad for the Rio Olympics. By 2017 she was described as the national team's captain.

2018–2019: Pan American gold

Santos was called up for the 2018 Copa América Femenina in Chile. At the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, she opened the scoring with a header in the semi-final against Costa Rica on 6 August and assisted Catalina Usme's extra-time winner in a 4–3 victory. Colombia then beat Argentina 7–6 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the final on 10 August to win the country's first Pan American gold medal in women's football.

2022–2023: Copa América final and World Cup quarter-final

On 3 July 2022, Santos was…

Santos is a creative attacking midfielder who usually wears the number 10 for club and country, and has been described as one of the most complete players in the Colombian team, able to both create and finish chances. Her ball control, vision and quick thinking have been singled out. She is also a set-piece specialist, with three direct free-kick goals for the Washington Spirit by September 2026, including her equaliser in the 2025 Challenge Cup final.

Santos was born on 16 May 1996 in San Sebastián, a rural settlement in the municipality of Santa Cruz de Lorica, Córdoba. Her father, Elizaith Santos, who had played for Córdoba's departmental under-20 team, encouraged her to play from an early age. Her mother was initially opposed and insisted she help with housework instead. As a child Santos played on boys' teams and was often the only girl at tournaments. After watching her play, César Correa, a friend of her father's, recommended that she try out for Club Besser in Bogotá, which was looking for female players. With her family and friends helping to pay for the trip, she moved to Bogotá with Correa; her parents followed six months later. With coach Pedro Rodríguez, she helped form Club Besser's women's team, and her performances there led to selection for Bogotá's regional side and Colombia's under-17 team. She stayed with Club Besser until 2016. In 2015 Santos played college soccer in the United States for Iowa Central Community College, scoring a hat-trick in her second game. She finished with seven goals and three assists in 11 games. Iowa Central won the NJCAA national championship that November after she assisted the only goal of the final against Eastern Florida State College.