The Valencia Cup Girls' "Legends" match will be a tribute to Laura Mansilla
The traditional match, played as part of the international women's youth football tournament, will commemorate the player from Levante, the German School, and the Valencian Community team. The "Role Models" match will take place on Saturday, April 4th at 7:00 PM at the Serranos field
The 2026 Valencia Cup Girls' "Legends" match will serve as a gathering of Valencian women's football role models as a tribute to Laura Mansilla. This match is a key element in the identity of this international women's youth football tournament, as from the very beginning, the history and role models of these players have been valued, serving as a mirror and example for the girls, teenagers, and families who participate in or visit the tournament.
And in this edition, that football match and the events surrounding it will be in memory of Mansilla, who passed away in January 2017 at the age of 39.
Laura Mansilla Plata was one of the pioneers of women's football in the Valencian Community and played for Levante, both for the reserve team and the first team, which made its mark in Spain, as well as for the German School—the precursor to the current Valencia CF Women's team. The defender was part of the Valencian regional team in the 1990s and was a member of Levante's most successful period in what was then the Women's Super League.
She also excelled in the world of athletics and held a degree in Psychology, specializing in the Psychology of Physical Activity and Sport, and was a youth football coach. In the latter capacity, she worked as a coach at EEPP San José (Valencia), Colegio Virgen del Rosario (Castellar), C.P. Luis Vives (Valencia), and Runnymede College La Moraleja (Madrid).
Teammates, rivals, and acquaintances will make up the two teams formed for the traditional match of the Valencia Cup Girls tournament. Legendary players will also be present, witnessing an evening of football and reunion, filled with emotion and honors for Laura Mansilla.
“It is a source of pride for the family that the friends and teammates who played with my sister on teams like Levante or Colegio Alemán, or with the Valencian regional team, will come together for this match of legends in this tournament for the new generations, as a tribute to Laura's memory,” explains Paqui Mansilla.
The Valencia Cup Girls tournament will take place during the upcoming Easter week, from April 2nd, with the opening ceremony at the Luis Puig Velodrome, to April 5th, with the finals. Group and knockout matches will be played on April 3rd and 4th. On that same day, the 4th, the tournament's main day, the 'Referentes' (Legends) will once again play an exhibition match dedicated to the memory of Laura Mansilla (Serranos field/7:00 PM).
Given the significance of this international youth football tournament, with girls and teenagers competing in categories from under-12 to under-19, this year the Valencia Cup Girls will break its record for the number of countries represented, with ten countries, including Spain, from which the players and their families will come: the United States, Mexico, Norway, England, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland.
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