A Star is Born: An analysis of the media construction of Linda Caicedo's sporting star status in Colombia

The teenage Colombian woman footballer Linda Caicedo has had a meteoric rise to prominence following her performances in several international tournaments in 2022 and 2023. Her star status is important to analyse from an intersectional perspective given her identity as a Black woman from humble Colombian origins. There has been insufficient analysis of the meanings and representations of Black women footballers, let al.one sportswomen from Latin America regarding their star construction. Therefore, this article investigates media narratives around Linda Caicedo, by analysing three Colombian publications, El Espectador, El Tiempo and Semana around the time of the 2022 Women's Copa Am & eacute;rica, the 2022 Under 20 Women's World Cup, the 2022 Under 17 Women's World Cup, and the Women's World Cup in 2023. We argue that media narratives present a rupture with traditional discourse around women's football in Colombia, by constructing her star status around her exceptional playing attributes, her values and capacity to overcome obstacles.