San Diego Wave FC has signed Spanish international goalkeeper Sandra Paños from Club América on a three-year deal through the 2028 season. Paños joins the Wave coming off a championship with América nearly a month ago, capturing the Liga MX Femenil Clausura title and earning “Portera de la Final” honors as the top goalkeeper of the championship match. During her three seasons with América, Paños appeared in 72 matches and recorded the league’s second-best goals-against mark in 2026 with just 13 goals conceded. She also helped lead the club to Clausura runner-up finishes in 2024 and 2025, as well as an Apertura runner-up finish in 2025. Prior to her time in Mexico, Paños built a legendary career with FC Barcelona, becoming the most successful goalkeeper in club history as three-time UEFA Champions League Champion and five-time Liga F Champion. Across nine seasons from 2015-24, making 279 appearances and recording 171 clean sheets and winning 23 titles across Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa de España, and Copa Catalunya. Paños also earned four Zamora Trophies, awarded to the goalkeeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio, was named UEFA Women’s Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season, and received a Ballon d’Or nomination in 2021. “I’m excited to join San Diego and begin this new chapter of my career,” said Paños. “The Wave has a talented group of players, and the Club’s strong foundation and ambition are what attracted me here. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the team and doing everything I can to help the Wave compete for championships.” The goalkeeper began her professional career at 17 years old with Levante UD, where she made 114 appearances from 2010-15. On the international stage, Paños has represented Spain on the largest stages of the game since making her senior national team debut in 2011. She earned 54 appearances for Spain and was named to the country’s squads for the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups, as well as the 2017 UEFA Women’s European Championship, where Spain reached the quarterfinals. Paños also helped Spain advance to the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 for the first time in program history, facing the United States in the Round of 16.