A Kerala-origin girl is chasing her dream of becoming an international footballer by becoming the first to get into a European football club in Portugal. Yes, 18-year-old Rinsha Mariyam from Bengaluru made it into Clube de Albergaria’s Under-19 women’s team in Portugal’s first-division youth league after moving to Portugal at the age of 15.
Though it was a tough decision for Rinsha to leave her parents behind and move to Portugal at 15, her passion to become an international footballer, and one day play for FC Barcelona, gave her the courage.
Her parents hailed from Trikaripur in Kasaragod, Kerala, and settled in Bengaluru years ago.
After undergoing extensive training and putting in her best in various practice matches, she was selected for Clube de Albergaria’s Under-19 women’s team in Portugal’s first-division youth league. She will compete against some of the country’s leading clubs, including Benfica and Sporting CP.
Aaron Sports Consulting, in an Instagram post, said: “We’re thrilled to announce that Rinsha Mariyam has signed her first contract with Clube de Albergaria (Portugal) for the U19 squad (2025/26 season)! This marks an exciting new chapter in her football journey as she takes her talent to the international stage. Wishing Rinsha all the success in this new adventure—may this be the start of something truly special!”
Gulf News quoted Rinsha’s father, M P Rasheed, as saying: “She was just 15 when she moved to Portugal. At that age, children usually enjoy spending time with their family and friends, going to school and living comfortably at home. But Rinsha had to leave all that behind to pursue her football dream.”
Moving to Portugal wasn’t easy for the 15-year-old, as she had to overcome many challenges, such as a new language, different food, unfamiliar weather and an entirely different education system. Her father stood firmly behind her, inspired by her determination to become an international footballer. It was Rinsha’s love for sports and athletics from a young age that gave her father, Rasheed, and her mother, Mariyambi, the confidence to support her. A black belt holder in karate, Rinsha was a taekwondo champion at the age of nine. In school, she was the best athlete in her eighth, ninth and tenth grades. In Bengaluru, she represented Bengaluru FC for two seasons, playing in the Karnataka A Division and Super Division leagues.
