Alice Soto
{{short description|Mexican football player (born 2006)}}
{{family name hatnote|Soto|Gallegos|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alice Soto
| image =
| full_name = Alice Fernanda Soto Gallegos
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2006|3|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico
| height = 1.58 m
| position = Attacking midfielder
| currentclub = Monterrey
| clubnumber = 30
| youthyears1 = 2018–2020
| youthclubs1 = Pachuca
| years1 = 2020–2024
| clubs1 = Pachuca
| caps1 = 114
| goals1 = 19
| years2 = 2025–
| clubs2 = Monterrey
| caps2 = 13
| goals2 = 4
| nationalyears1 = 2021–2022
| nationalteam1 = Mexico U-17
| nationalcaps1 = 9
| nationalgoals1 = 6
| nationalyears2 = 2022–
| nationalteam2 = Mexico U-20
| nationalcaps2 = 12
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| nationalyears3 = 2024–
| nationalteam3 = Mexico
| nationalcaps3 = 8
| nationalgoals3 = 6
| club-update = 12 April 2025
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Alice Fernanda Soto Gallegos (born 26 March 2006) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Liga MX Femenil club Monterrey and the Mexico women's national football team.
Club career
= Pachuca (2018–2024) =
In early 2018, Soto joined C.F. Pachuca’s youth academy. Later that year, at the age of 12 years and two months, Soto became the youngest professional female footballer to be registered with the Mexican Football Federation after Pachuca included her as part of the first-team roster for the 2018–19 Liga MX Femenil season.{{cite news |last1=Manjarrez |first1=Miguel |title=A corta edad Alice Soto podría debutar con Pachuca en Liga MX Femenil |url=https://www.elsoldesalamanca.com.mx/deportes/a-corta-edad-alice-soto-podria-debutar-con-pachuca-en-liga-mx-femenil-1838004.html |access-date=16 May 2021 |work=El Sol de Salamanca |date=13 July 2018 |language=es}} Soto would not play a single minute with Pachuca’s first-team until February 2020, when she made her Liga MX Femenil debut with Pachuca at age thirteen, as a 65th-minute substitute in a 5–0 home victory versus Querétaro.{{cite news |last1=Manjarrez |first1=Miguel |title=Debut triunfal de niña salmantina en Liga MX Femenil |url=https://www.elsoldesalamanca.com.mx/deportes/futbol/-debut-triunfal-de-nina-salmantina-en-liga-mx-femenil--salamanca-futbol-mexico-concacaf-deportes-4886655.html |access-date=16 May 2021 |work=El Sol de Salamanca |date=25 February 2020 |language=es}}
By debuting at thirteen, Soto became the youngest player to have debuted in Liga MX Femenil, a record that can't be broken due to current Liga MX Femenil regulations prohibiting players under fifteen to play professionally. On 28 March 2021, aged fourteen, Soto became the youngest Mexican footballer to score at a professional level after scoring Pachuca’s only goal in a 0–1 victory over Puebla.{{cite web |title=Puebla F.C. vs Pachuca |url=https://www.ligafemenil.mx/cancha/informeArbitral/119340/eyJJRFBhcnRpZG8iOiIxMTkzNDAiLCJpZENsdWJMb2NhbCI6IjExNTQzIiwiaWRDbHViVmlzaXRhIjoiMTExODQifQ== |website=ligafemenil.mx |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716220958/https://www.ligafemenil.mx/cancha/informeArbitral/119340/eyJJRFBhcnRpZG8iOiIxMTkzNDAiLCJpZENsdWJMb2NhbCI6IjExNTQzIiwiaWRDbHViVmlzaXRhIjoiMTExODQifQ== |archive-date=16 July 2021 |language=es}}{{cite news |title=Con 14 años, Alice Soto de Pachuca es la jugadora más joven en anotar en la Liga MX Femenil |url=https://www.milenio.com/futbol/club-pachuca/alice-soto-pachuca-jugadora-joven-anotar-liga-mx-femenil |access-date=16 May 2021 |work=Milenio |date=23 March 2021 |language=es}}
Soto breakthrough year with Pachuca came in 2023, when she became a prominent starter during the Clausura 2023 tournament, helping her team reach the final of the competition. Due to Soto being called to the Mexico women's national under-20 team to play the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Dominican Republic, she had to leave her club in the middle of the playoffs. Mexico ended up winning the tournament, with Soto winning the best-player of the tournament award as well. The day after the final of the U-20 Championship, Soto traveled back to Mexico to re-join Pachuca just a few hours before the second-leg of the Clausura 2023 final against Club América. Soto played the entire second-half of the final, scoring one goal, but Pachuca ended up losing the final to América by a 4–2 aggregate score.{{Cite web |last=OnceDiario |title=Liga MX Femenil: ¡América, campeón del Clausura 2023! Venció 2-1 a Pachuca |url=https://www.oncediario.com/notas/44587-america-femenil-pachuca-liga-mx-femenil-final-transmision-en-vivo-online |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=www.oncediario.com |language=es-ES}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-06 |title=Alice Soto jugó dos finales con 31 horas de diferencia |url=https://www.espn.com.mx/futbol/mexico/nota/_/id/12157322/alice-soto-final-seleccion-mexicana-sub-20-liga-mx-femenil |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=ESPN.com.mx |language=es}} Due to her performances during the Clausura 2023, Soto was recognized by the league as the best female youth player of the 2022–23 season.{{Cite web |last=Meganoticias |title=¡Lo logró! Gana Alice Soto Balón de Oro |url=https://www.meganoticias.mx/salamanca/noticia/lo-logro-gana-alice-soto-balon-de-oro/436020#:~:text=A%20sus%2017%20a%C3%B1os%20de,Menor%20de%20la%20Liga%20MX. |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=MEGANOTICIAS |language=es-MX}}
After her breakthrough with Pachuca during the Clausura 2023, Soto became a regular fixture for Pachuca until she exited the club in December 2024.
= Monterrey (2025–present) =
After much speculation about her future, C.F. Monterrey announced on 27 December 2024 that Soto was joining their side after her exit from Pachuca.{{Cite web |last=IBÁÑEZ |first=MARIFER |date=2024-12-25 |title=Rayadas da un regalo de Navidad con la llegada de Alice Soto |url=https://abcnoticias.mx/deportes/2024/12/25/rayadas-da-un-regalo-de-navidad-con-la-llegada-de-alice-soto-235487.html |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=ABC Noticias |language=es}}
International career
= Youth =
Soto has been part of the Mexico women’s national team football program since the youth level. In 2022, she participated with the Mexico women's national under-17 football team during the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in which she helped Mexico reached the final by netting six goals. Later in that year, she was promoted to the Mexico U-20 women's national team and included as the youngest member of the team for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, seeing action as a substitute in all games that Mexico played during the competition.{{Cite web |title=La Selección Mexicana Femenil Sub-20 da convocatoria para el Mundial Costa Rica 2022 {{!}} TUDN Aqui esta el tri {{!}} TUDN |url=https://www.tudn.com/futbol/aqui-esta-el-tri/la-seleccion-mexicana-femenil-sub-20-da-convocatoria-para-el-mundial-costa-rica-2022 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=www.tudn.com |language=es}} Additionally, she was also part of the Mexico U-17 team that participated at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce43/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=Squad List: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022 |publisher=FIFA |date=4 October 2022 |access-date=11 October 2022}}
During the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, Soto played an important role for Mexico to reach the final and winning the competition, with CONCACAF naming her as the best-player of the tournament. In 2024, Soto was included in Mexico’s roster for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, in which she started all four games that Mexico played during that tournament.{{Cite web |title=Selección Mexicana Sub 20 Femenil da conocer convocatoria para Mundial {{!}} TUDN Selección Mexicana {{!}} TUDN |url=https://www.tudn.com/futbol/mexico/seleccion-mexicana-sub-20-femenil-da-conocer-convocatoria-para-el-mundial |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=www.tudn.com |language=es}}
= Senior =
Soto was called to the Mexico senior team for the first time on 18 October 2024 for friendlies against Venezuela and Thailand.{{Cite web |last=Uzeta |first=Karla |date=2024-10-19 |title=Pedro López tiene a sus convocadas para los juegos amistosos de la selección mexicana femenil |url=https://esto.com.mx/852069-listas-las-covocadas-para-los-amistosos-de-la-seleccion-femenil-ante-venezuela-y-tailandia/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=ESTO |language=es}} She made her debut with the senior team as a 45th-minute substitute during the match against Thailand, in which she also netted two goals.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-29 |title=México Femenil goleó sin problemas a Tailandia en duelo amistoso |url=https://www.record.com.mx/futbol-futbol-nacional-seleccion-mexicana/mexico-femenil-goleo-sin-problemas-a-tailandia-en-duelo |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=www.record.com.mx |language=es}}
Career statistics
= Club =
{{updated|As of match played 12 April 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Alice Soto - Perfil de Jugadora - LIGA MX Femenil - Página Oficial de la Liga Mexicana del Fútbol Profesional |url=https://www.ligafemenil.mx/cancha/jugador/132381/eyJpZENsdWIiOiAxMTE4NX0=/alice-fernanda-soto-gallegos |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=www.ligafemenil.mx}}
| class="wikitable"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |League Cup {{efn|Includes Summer Cup}} ! colspan="2" |Total |
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals |
|---|
| rowspan="7" |C.F. Pachuca
|2019–20 | rowspan="6" |Liga MX Femenil | align="center" |2 | align="center" |0 | colspan="2" align="center" |— | align="center" |2 | align="center" |0 |
| 2020–21
| align="center" |16 | align="center" |2 | colspan="2" align="center" |— | align="center" |16 | align="center" |2 |
| 2021–22
| align="center" |22 | align="center" |2 | colspan="2" align="center" |— | align="center" |22 | align="center" |2 |
| 2022–23
| align="center" |23 | align="center" |5 | colspan="2" align="center" |— | align="center" |23 | align="center" |5 |
| 2023–24
| align="center"|37 | align="center"|9 | align="center" colspan="2" |— |align="center" |37 |align="center" |9 |
| 2024–25
|align="center" |14 |align="center" |1 | align="center" |3 |align="center" |0 |align="center" |17 |align="center" |1 |
| colspan="2" align="center" |Total
!114 !19 !3 !0 !117 !19 |
| rowspan="2" |C.F. Monterrey
|2024–25 |Liga MX Femenil |align="center" |13 |align="center" |4 | align="center" colspan="2" |— |align="center" |13 |align="center" |4 |
| colspan="2" |Total
!13 !4 ! colspan="2" |— !13 !4 |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!127 !23 !3 !0 !130 !23 |
= International =
{{updated|As of match played 12 April 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Mexico - A. Soto - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway |url=https://us.soccerway.com/players/alice-fernanda-soto-gallegos/832672/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250219191543/https://us.soccerway.com/players/alice-fernanda-soto-gallegos/832672/ |archive-date=2025-02-19 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=us.soccerway.com |language=en}}
| class="wikitable"
|+Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team !Year !Apps !Goals |
| rowspan="2" |Mexico
|2024 |align="center"|4 |align="center"|2 |
| 2025
|align="center"|4 |align="center"|4 |
| colspan="2" | Total
!8 !6 |
|---|
| class="wikitable"
|+List of international goals scored by Alice Soto | ||||||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | rowspan="2" | 29 October 2024 | rowspan="2" | Estadio Nemesio Diez, Toluca, Mexico | rowspan="2" | {{fbw|THA}} | align="center" |2–0 | rowspan="2" align="center" | 4–0 | rowspan="2" | Friendly |
| 2. | align="center" |4–0 | |||||
| 3. | 19 February 2025 | rowspan="2" | Pinatar Arena, San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain | {{fbw|TPE}} | align="center" |1–0 | align="center" | 4–0 | rowspan="2" | 2025 Pinatar Cup |
| 4. | 25 February 2025 | {{fbw|CHN}} | align="center" |1–0 | align="center" | 2–0 | ||
| 5.
| rowspan="2" |8 April 2025 | rowspan="2" |Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, United States | rowspan="2" |{{fbw|JAM}} | align="center" |2–0 | rowspan="2" align="center" |4–0 | rowspan="2" |Friendly | ||||||
| 6.
| align="center" |4–0 |
Honours
; Mexico U-20
- CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship: 2023{{Cite web |date=5 June 2023 |title=Mexico's Soto, Velasco earn top honors at CWU20 |url=https://www.concacaf.com/under-20s-women/article/mexico-s-soto-velasco-earn-top-honors-at-cwu20/ |access-date=2 August 2023 |website=CONCACAF}}
Individual
- CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship Golden Ball: 2023
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links|properties=-P6198}}
- {{Liga MX Femenil player}}
{{Monterrey Femenil squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soto, Alice}}
Category:Mexican women's footballers
Category:Footballers from Guanajuato
Category:People from Salamanca, Guanajuato
Category:Women's association football forwards
Category:C.F. Pachuca (women) footballers
Category:Liga MX Femenil players
Category:Mexico women's youth international footballers