María Fernanda Zúñiga | |
Fullname: | María Fernanda Zúñiga Cifuentes |
Birth Date: | 12 September 1997 |
Birth Place: | Chile |
Height: | 1.70 m[1] |
Position: | Goalkeeper |
Years1: | 2015–2018 |
Years2: | 2019–2022 |
Clubs2: | Universidad de Chile |
Years3: | 2023 |
Clubs3: | Estudiantes |
Years4: | 2024– |
Nationalyears1: | 2013 |
Nationalteam1: | Chile U17 |
Nationalyears2: | 2015 |
Nationalteam2: | Chile U20 |
María Fernanda Zúñiga Cifuentes (born 12 September 1997) is a Chilean footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for .
As a child, Zúñiga played against male players at both her neighbourhood and, the trade union of professional football players in Chile.[2]
At club level, she began her career with from 2015 to 2018.[3]
In 2019, she switched to Universidad de Chile, signing her first professional contract in February 2022.[4]
In 2023, she moved to Argentina and joined Estudiantes de La Plata in the Primera División A,[3] making her debut against .[2] The next season, she returned to Chile and joined .[5]
Having taken part in several trials with the Chile national team at youth level since 2011,[6] she represented the under-17's in the 2013 South American Championship[7] and the under-20's in the 2015 South American Championship.[6] [8]
She is nicknamed Paco[6] or Pakito.[3]