The dragonesses from Lavapiés will make their debut at Donosti Cup 2025
CDE Dragones de Lavapiés, who have already participated in three editions of the tournament, will attend for the first time with a girls’ team.
CDE Dragones de Lavapiés will enjoy another unforgettable experience this summer at the Donosti Cup. After participating three times with boys' teams, the Madrid-based club will now bring a girls’ team for the first time: the "dragonesses" from Lavapiés.
Founded in 2014 as a grassroots initiative, CDE Dragones de Lavapiés uses sport as a tool to foster solidarity and respect in one of Madrid’s most diverse and multicultural neighborhoods. With over 600 players from more than 50 different nationalities, the club has become a symbol of inclusion, equality and community through football.
Their first Donosti Cup experience in 2017 marked a milestone for the club and for many of its players —many of them refugees— who fulfilled the dream of competing in a major international tournament. That trip was more than just football: it was a celebration of effort, resilience, and the power of sport to change lives.
In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, the Dragones returned to San Sebastián thanks to the support of the Donosti Cup Foundation and Orona. That edition brought hope and excitement during a difficult time for everyone and showed once again that Donosti Cup is much more than a tournament — it is a driver of social change.
Now, the "Dragonas" from Lavapiés will write a new chapter in this story. Their participation is another step in the club's commitment to gender equality in sport and to promoting women’s football as a space for inclusion, diversity and personal growth.
“It wasn’t easy to get the girls to play football. When we saw girls' teams at the Donosti Cup we were so jealous, but we couldn't get more girls to sign up. It was the mothers of the little Dragones who first stepped forward thanks to the space we created in an empty lot: at Embajadores 18. That changed everything, and now women and girls make up nearly a third of the club,” says president Dolores Galindo. She and vice-president Ana Sánchez have written the “Women’s Football: A Basic Manual for Clubs Fighting for Gender Equality” to share what they’ve learned.
At Donosti Cup, we’re proud to welcome back CDE Dragones de Lavapiés — a project that truly embodies the values we want to promote: solidarity, respect, inclusion and passion for football. We can’t wait to see the "Dragonas" in Donostia!
Pictures: Juan David Cortés and CDE Dragones de Lavapiés
