Izquierdo, Perez Selected to Represent Colombia in 2024 Paris Games
July 05, 2024 | Soccer, Olympic Games
BARRANQUILLA, Colombia -  Mississippi State soccer proudly announces that two of its outstanding athletes, Ilana Izquierdo and Catalina Perez, have been selected to represent Colombia at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This marks a significant achievement for the Bulldogs, highlighting the program's excellence on an international stage.
- Hometown: Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
- Position: Midfielder
- Olympic Games: Paris 2024 (Olympic debut)
Izquierdo will make her Olympic debut in Paris, joining the ranks of only 11 Bulldogs in school history to earn a spot on an Olympic team while still an active student-athlete. In 2024, she debuted with the Colombian senior Women's National Team at the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, starting every match, winning two group stage matches, and reaching the quarterfinals. She also participated in friendlies on the 2024 Mexico Tour.
Transferring from Southern Miss in 2023, Izquierdo started all 23 matches for MSU, leading the team with a school-record 2,097 minutes played. She scored four goals and recorded three assists. Izquierdo's international experience includes playing in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica, where Colombia won its group and reached the quarterfinals, and the 2022 CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino U-20 in Chile, where she scored in the final stage to help Colombia finish second. Izquierdo also played in the Bolivarian Games, scoring her first international goal against Panama and adding goals against Paraguay and Venezuela. Izquierdo joined the Colombian Women's National Team at 17, participating in the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay and the CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino U-17 Championship in Argentina.
- Hometown: Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Olympic Games: Rio 2016, Paris 2024
Perez, making her second Olympic appearance, previously represented Colombia in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games before enrolling at MSU. Currently playing professionally with Werder Bremen in the FrauenBundesliga, Perez showcased her skills at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, where Colombia reached the quarterfinals. She allowed only four goals while making 15 saves. Perez played a pivotal role in Colombia's runner-up performance at the 2022 Copa America, which qualified them for Paris.
In 2019, Perez won gold with Colombia at the Pan American Games, recording two shutouts and making eight saves in Colombia's gold-medal shootout victory. This achievement marked Colombia's first international championship in women's soccer and the first international medal for an MSU soccer player. During her tenure at MSU, Perez earned All-American and First-Team SEC honors in 2017, recording six shutouts and nine wins. She ranks second in school history in career goals against average (1.00). Before joining MSU, Perez played her undergraduate career at Miami and also participated in the Pan American Games in 2011. She made her first national team at 15 and attended the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany.
Mississippi State Soccer extends its heartfelt congratulations to Ilana Izquierdo and Catalina Perez for their remarkable achievements and wishes them the best as they represent Colombia on the world's biggest stage in Paris.
Â
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's soccer on X, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateSoc."
Players Mentioned
