Ludmila playing for Atlético Madrid in November 2018
A high school athletics champion, Ludmila took up organized football at the relatively late age of 15. She was noticed by a scout from CA Juventus and then moved on to play for São Caetano, Portuguesa, Rio Preto and São José as a fast and strong winger.[1]
In August 2017, Ludmila agreed to a transfer to Spanish Primera División club Atlético Madrid.[2] Her exceptional pace led her to be dubbed: "Road Runner".[3] Good performances and six goals in the first half season prompted Atlético to extend her initial two-year contract by another year in December 2017.[4]
On 29 July 2024, the Chicago Red Stars announced that they had signed Ludmila to a three-year contract through the 2026 season.[6] She scored her first NWSL goal on September 21, 2024, lifting the team to a 1–0 victory over the San Diego Wave.[7][8] The Red Stars would go on to qualify for the playoffs, where they lost to the Orlando Pride 4–1 in the first round.[9][10] Ludmila was unable to play in the match, instead serving a three-game suspension following an altercation with Washington Spirit forward Rosemonde Kouassi during the penultimate game of the Red Stars' 2024 regular season.[11][12]
In June 2017, Ludmila was called up to the senior Brazil squad for the first time for a friendly match against Germany in Sandhausen. She reportedly did not have a passport and had to urgently obtain one to accept the call-up. She stated that national coach Emily Lima, previously her boss at Juventus and São José, was a mother figure to her.[14] In Germany, Brazil fielded a weakened team as the match was outside FIFA-specified international dates and some regular players were unable to attend. Ludmila capitalised on an error by German goalkeeper Almuth Schult to mark her debut with a goal, but Brazil lost 3–1.[15]
In previous training sessions with the national team, Ludmila had been stung by criticism from a team official who suggested she was good at running but did not know when to release the ball.[16] Ludmila scored the only goal in a behind closed doors training match against Canada in Ottawa on 4 September 2018.[17]
Ludmila was named to the Brazil roster that competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.[18] She started the tournament final against the United States and appeared to have scored the opening goal in the 16th minute, only to have the strike ruled as offside. The United States would go on to beat Ludmila and Brazil 1–0 on a goal from Mallory Swanson.[19][20]
Ludmila is Afro-Brazilian and was brought up in a favela[21] by her aunt, as her mother left the family and her father died during her childhood. In 2016, her older sister also died.[22]
