Misa Rodríguez, the 26‑year‑old Las Palmas native and captain of Real Madrid Femenino, has staged a clear revival after a career low. On 24 January in the Spanish Supercup final in Castellón against Barcelona she produced a string of outstanding saves and kept her side competitive until the 92nd minute, when Alexia Putellas converted a penalty to make it 2–0.
She will start again tonight in goal for the Whites — at 21:00 CET at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium (Teledeporte) — for the Copa de la Reina quarter‑final against Barcelona. Before 16 October of this season she had not played a single official minute, but the situation changed after Merle Frohms, who had taken her place following a July signing, suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee against PSG.
Since reclaiming the starting spot, Misa, who joined Real in summer 2020 and — together with Tere Abelleira — is one of the only players remaining from the club’s foundation, has put up the best numbers of her career. Opta data show she currently leads Spanish goalkeepers in save percentage: in 11 Liga F matches she has kept 32 of 40 shots out, an 80% save rate, ahead of Cata Coll (79%) and Antonia Canales (77%).
Her turnaround is the result of extensive work on and off the pitch: she has explained that a lot was done over the summer to recover form. Opta also records nine saves in the Supercup final, including two one‑on‑ones stopped against Ewa Pajor and the diversion of angled shots from Vicky López and Claudia Pina.
The trajectory of the Zamora Trophy winner in 2021 and 2023 looked in jeopardy after she lost her place in the national squad at the end of 2024 and saw her regular role at Real disappear last September. However, a change in coaching staff opened a new chapter: the new coach, who arrived in September, started a phase without the baggage of the past and witnessed Misa’s display in Castellón, helping her return to contention for a spot with the Spanish national team.
Misa was left out of the Euro 2025 list last summer and had said then that she did not want the door to the national side to be closed forever. Former coach Montse Tomé had not selected her since the Paris 2024 Olympics, and Tomé’s successor, Sonia Bermúdez, did not call her up for the Nations League final in December. Now, with improved club form, Misa is offering strong arguments to regain international recognition.
Her contract with Real runs until 30 June, and motivation is high: despite losing the Supercup two weeks ago and sitting 10 points behind Barcelona in the league, the home cup fixture provides an opportunity to challenge Barcelona’s dominance and aim for the club’s first major trophy. As the Madrid‑born keeper with the highest save rate in Spain, she wants to return to La Roja after overcoming the toughest crisis of her career.