An inflatable boat, a Rayo Vallecano shirt, and a chance meeting on a Benidorm beach - the beginning of Vicky Lopez's journey in elite football sounds like a work of fiction.

Lopez, 19, is undoubtedly the next global star of the women's game. Over the past year, the attacking midfielder has established herself as a regular starter for the biggest powers in club and international football, Barcelona and Spain. She has done so despite having to contend for minutes with Ballon d'Or winners and global superstars. Now, Lopez looks set for global recognition at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.

On Saturday, Lopez is set to play in a Women's Champions League final for the first time when Barcelona face Lyon in Oslo, live on BBC Two and iPlayer (1 7:00 BST).

Her journey to reach this point, it is fair to say, has not been conventional.

A Street-Smart Start

The daughter of a Spanish father and a Nigerian mother, Lopez was born in 2006 in the tight-knit working-class Madrid neighbourhood of Vallecas. At four years old, she was playing football in the street with her older brother Jesus, an early education in the game that partly explains the flair, agility, and speed she would become known for.

"Vicky learned her craft on the streets of Vallecas, her style is very street-influenced," Spanish football journalist Irati Vidal told BBC Sport. "She used to play for fun while admiring and trying to copy Neymar's dribbles."

The Turn of Fate

Lopez soon joined local girls and boys teams where she often played in defence, and her innate talent caught the attention of Alba Mellado, a professional footballer and youth coach at Madrid CFF. Mellado was working on expanding the club's junior ranks. After telling club president Alfredo Ulloa about the gem she had discovered, Mellado approached Lopez's family.

The young girl decided she wanted to stick with her friends on the local team, but fate would soon give Mellado another opportunity. During a trip to Benidorm in the summer of 2015, Mellado bumped into an eight-year-old Lopez playing football with her cousins on the beach. Mellado returned wearing a shirt of Rayo Vallecano, the La Liga side from Vallecas, to establish a connection with Lopez.

"After a few days playing with her, I bought an inflatable boat big enough for her and her cousins to convince her," Mellado told BBC Sport. "I think it paid off - a few days later her father rang me and said she was definitely joining [Madrid CFF]."

Lopez quickly caught attention at Madrid, though her route to the top was not without major obstacles. At just 11 years old, she lost her mother to a brain tumour. When her mother's condition worsened and her father practically lived at the hospital, Mellado and her Madrid teammates helped Lopez get to training and kept her occupied.

From there, Lopez developed at remarkable speed. In 2019, she was named most valuable player at a La Liga-organized tournament for under-12s girls' teams after scoring seven goals, including a hat-trick in the final. She caught the eye by scoring 60 goals in 17 matches in the 2020-21 youth league and began her journey through the country's junior ranks.

In September 2021, Lopez became the youngest player to feature in Spain's top flight when she came off the bench against Athletic Bilbao, aged 15 years and 42 days.