Natalia Astrain Officially Joins Telemundo Deportes’ Award-Winning Team Debuting In The Highly Anticipated Women’s National Team Friendly USA Vs. Colombia
October 24, 2023
Natalia Astrain joins Telemundo Deportes’ commentary team as a network soccer analyst following historic performances during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ where she broke barriers. Astrain is set to debut as Soccer Analyst during the USWNT v. Colombia friendly match this Thursday, October 26 at 9 p.m. ET LIVE on Universo and Peacock.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Natalia Astrain to the Deportes team and to continue enhancing our coverage while furthering the development of talented women in soccer and across other sports,” said Eli Velazquez, EVP of Sports, Telemundo. “Natalia brings a unique perspective to the team and offers our viewers a level of insight that only an experienced coach can provide.”
Astrain originally joined Telemundo Deportes for the network’s soccer coverage of the 2021 Olympics. She rejoined the team in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as a guest analyst where she and Costa Rica head coach Amelia Valverde called men’s World Cup matches in Spanish.
Most recently, she followed top teams competing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 across Australia and New Zealand supporting Chief Soccer Commentator Andres Cantor and former Mexican footballer Manuel Sol in calling key matches. Her new role is highlighted by her main position as soccer analyst for Premier League and USSF coverage, but her duties will continue to expand across Telemundo Deportes’ roster of premier global events, including the Paris Summer Olympics 2024 and the FIFA World Cup 2026.
"I am excited to join the world-class team at Telemundo in covering some of the game's best matchups and leagues,” said Astrain. “This is an incredible opportunity to work alongside the best talents in broadcasting and to share my experiences and perspective on the beautiful game.”
Prior to officially joining Telemundo Deportes, Astrain served as Head Coach of the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team and assistant coach for NWSL Kansas City. She has also served as a soccer analyst for Olympic soccer on Universo’s “Mundo Deportivo” in Spain and for FC Barcelona TV.
In her home country of Spain, she held the position of head coach for FC Barcelona, Club Damm, and Club Levante Las Planas. Additionally, she worked as an assistant coach for Atletico Madrid and the Spain Women's National Team. She also served as the technical director for Barcelona's women's academy.
Astrain holds a master’s degree in in Sport Psychology and High Performance of Team Sports in addition to the UEFA Pro License and a U.S. Soccer “A” License.
Telemundo Deportes is the leading U.S. sports media brand and destination for the biggest and best global sports programming in Spanish language, delivering a comprehensive roster of live and studio programming featuring the most significant and most in-demand sporting events, including exclusive Spanish-language coverage of all FIFA properties and Teams USA through 2026. In addition to serving as the exclusive U.S. home for Liga MX’s Chivas de Guadalajara home matches, the network offers comprehensive Spanish-language coverage of the Premier League. Beyond soccer, Telemundo Deportes delivers exclusive Spanish-language coverage of NFL’s Sunday Night Football and the Olympics as well as other premier sporting events.
