Laura Mansilla Honoured in Referentes Match at Valencia Cup Girls
The family of the former Levante, Colegio Alemán and Valencia regional team player received a heartfelt tribute from the women’s football community during the international tournament
The Referentes match at the Valencia Cup Girls is one of the most emotional and meaningful moments of the international girls’ youth football tournament. In 2026, more than ever, it served as a reunion for players from different generations, a celebration of those who helped drive the development of women’s football, and above all, a sincere tribute in memory of Laura Mansilla Plata.
Laura Mansilla was one of the pioneers of women’s football in the Valencian Community. She played for Levante UD from the late 1990s until 2006, featuring for both the reserve and first teams during one of the club’s most successful eras in Spain. She also played for Colegio Alemán—considered the foundation of today’s Valencia CF Femenino—during the 2006–2007 season. A defender, she represented the Valencian regional team in the 1990s and was part of Levante’s golden era in the former women’s Superliga.
She also excelled in athletics and held a degree in Psychology, specialising in Physical Activity and Sports Psychology, and worked as a grassroots football coach. In this role, she coached at EEPP San José (Valencia), Colegio Virgen del Rosario (Castellar), C.P. Luis Vives (Valencia), and Runnymede College La Moraleja (Madrid).
Former teammates, opponents and acquaintances took part in the two sides that contested the Referentes match, a long-standing tradition within the Valencia Cup Girls. Other former players also attended, in an event filled with emotion and recognition of Laura Mansilla’s legacy.
The match was held at CD Serranos, in the former Turia riverbed. The ceremony began with the players forming a guard of honour at midfield to Mansilla’s family with applause. Mariángeles Vidal, manager of Valencia’s Municipal Sports Foundation, and Fernando Brotons, tournament director, presented a commemorative plaque to Laura’s parents and siblings.
Following a match played at a very high standard, the tribute continued during the awards ceremony. The family received a Levante shirt, presented by board member Ruth García; a Valencia regional team shirt, presented by Rubén Mora, head of the FFCV coaching school; a framed photograph presented by Pedro Malabia; and commemorative shirts from the Referentes match itself.
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