Rebeca Bernal

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Rebeca Bernal

| image = Rebeca Bernal.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Bernal playing for Mexico against the United States on May 26, 2019

| fullname = Rebeca Bernal Rodríguez{{cite web|url=http://www.ligafemenil.mx/cancha/jugador/125485/rebeca-bernal-rodriguez|title=Rebeca Bernal Rodríguez|work=Liga MX Femenil|language=Spanish|date=|accessdate=30 September 2017|publisher=Liga MX Femenil}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|08|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico

| height = {{height|m=1.68}}

| position = Defensive midfielder, centre-back

| currentclub = Washington Spirit

| clubnumber = 4

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 2017–2025

| clubs1 = Monterrey

| caps1 = 274

| goals1 = 66

| years2 = 2025–

| clubs2 = Washington Spirit

| caps2 = 8

| goals2 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2014–2015

| nationalteam1 = Mexico U-17

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 2015–2016

| nationalteam2 = Mexico U-20

| nationalcaps2 =

| nationalgoals2 =

| nationalyears3 = 2016–

| nationalteam3 = Mexico

| nationalcaps3 = 65

| nationalgoals3 = 7

| pcupdate = 17 February 2025

| ntupdate = 17 February 2025

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Women's football}}

{{Medal|Country|{{fba|Mexico}}}}

}}

Rebeca Bernal Rodríguez (born 31 August 1997), is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre back for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and captains the Mexico women's national team.

Early life

Bernal joined Escuela de Futbol Cruz Azul in Ciudad Madero, where she was the only girl, around the age of seven.{{cite news|url=https://www.milenio.com/deportes/futbol/quien-es-rebeca-bernal-rodriguez-futbolista-de-tampico|title=Rebeca Bernal, de Tampico a ser la heroína del futbol mexicano femenil en Santiago 2023|date=2023-11-04|last=Durán|first=Víctor Hugo|newspaper=Milenio|access-date=2025-02-05|language=es}} When she was 14, she moved to Monterrey to study psychology at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.{{cite news|url=https://www.multimedios.com/deportes/futbol-internacional/rebeca-bernal-capitana-rayada.html|title=Rebeca Bernal, la Capitana Rayada|last=Elgueta|first=José|date=2017-10-11|website=Multimedios|access-date=2025-02-05|language=es}}

Club career

Bernal joined CF Monterrey at the formation of Liga MX Femenil in the Apertura 2017.

She joined NWSL club Washington Spirit on 25 February 2025, signing a three-year deal in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee.{{Cite web |last=Spirit |first=Washington |date=2025-02-25 |title=Washington Spirit Signs Star Mexican Defender Rebeca Bernal |url=https://washingtonspirit.com/blog/2025/02/25/washington-spirit-signs-star-mexican-defender-rebeca-bernal/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Washington Spirit |language=en-US}} She won a trophy on her debut for the Spirit on 7 March, defeating the Orlando Pride on penalties in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup. Bernal converted her penalty kick in the shootout.{{cite news|url=https://washingtonspirit.com/blog/2025/03/08/recap-short-handed-spirit-wins-2025-nwsl-challenge-cup/|title=Recap: Short-Handed Spirit Wins 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup|date=2025-03-08|publisher=Washington Spirit|access-date=2025-03-08}}

International career

Bernal played for Mexico at youth level at the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She made her senior debut on 8 July 2017, starting in a 1–0 friendly loss to Sweden.{{Soccerway}}{{cite web|url=https://svenskfotboll.se/landslag/damer/arkiv/landslag/2017/07/startelvan-mot-mexiko/|title=Dam Landskamp Matchinformation: Sverige mot Mexiko 2017-07-08 (1–0) — svenskfotboll.se|website=svenskfotboll.se}}

Bernal was selected to represent Mexico at the 2023 Pan American Games held in Santiago, Chile, where the Mexican squad went undefeated to won the gold medal for the first time in their history at the Pan American Games, defeating Chile 1–0. Bernal scored Mexico's winning goal.{{cite web|title=Mexico takes soccer gold with 1-0 win over Chile|url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/mexico-takes-soccer-gold-with-1-0-win-over-chile-2023-11-04/|work=Reuters|date=3 November 2023|access-date=6 November 2023}}{{cite web|title=Santiago 2023: Mexico beats shorthanded Chile for women's football gold|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/santiago-2023-mexico-beat-chile-womens-football-final-silver-gold|website=olympics.com|date=4 November 2023|access-date=6 November 2023}}

International career

{{updated|match played 8 April 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/rebeca-bernal/333706/|title=Mexico – Rebeca Bernal}}

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="8"\|Mexico \|2017	1	0
2018	6	0
2020	1	0
2021	11	1
2022	8	2
2023	11	2
2024	14	2
2025	2	1
colspan="2"\|Total	45	8

=International goals=

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
class="wikitable"
1. \|20 February 2021 \|Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico \|{{fbw\|Costa Rica}} \|align=center\|3–1 \|align=center\|3–1 \|Friendly
2.	17 February 2022	Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico	{{fbw\|SUR}}	align="center" \|6–0	align="center" \| 9–0	rowspan="2" \| 2022 CONCACAF W Championship qualification
3.	20 February 2022	Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo Dominican Republic	{{fbw\|ATG}}	align="center" \|2–0	align="center" \| 8–0
4.	25 October 2023	Estadio Sausalito, Viña del Mar, Chile	{{fbw\|CHI}}	align="center" \|1–1	align="center" \| 3–1	rowspan="2" \| 2023 Pan American Games
5.	3 November 2023	Estadio Elías Figueroa Brander, Valparaíso, Chile	{{fbw\|CHI}}	align="center" \|1–0	align="center" \| 1–0
6.	23 February 2024	Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, United States	{{fbw\|DOM}}	align=center\|5–0	align=center\| 8–0	2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
7.	30 November 2024	Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo, Cancún, Mexico	{{fbw\|CRC}}	align=center\|3–1	align=center\| 4–1	rowspan=2\| Friendly
8.	5 April 2025	CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, United States	{{fbw\|JAM}}	align=center\|3–0	align=center\| 3–0

Honors

Mexico U17

CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship: 2013

Individual

CONCACAF W Gold Cup Best XI: 2024{{cite web |date=March 13, 2024 |title=Shaw, Leon, Ovalle head up W Gold Cup Best XI |url=https://www.concacaf.com/w-gold-cup/news/shaw-leon-ovalle-head-up-w-gold-cup-best-xi/ |access-date=March 17, 2024 |publisher=CONCACAF |language=}}

Club

Washington Spirit