Álvaro González (footballer, born 1990) Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is González and the second or maternal family name is Soberón.

Quick facts for kids
Álvaro
Personal information
Álvaro with Villarreal in 2019
Full name	Álvaro González Soberón
Date of birth	(1990-01-08) 8 January 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Potes, Spain
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Youth career
2003–2009	Racing Santander
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2009–2011	Racing B	48	(0)
2011–2012	Racing Santander	37	(1)
2012–2014	Zaragoza	72	(2)
2014–2016	Espanyol	74	(1)
2016–2020	Villarreal	89	(2)
2019–2020	→ Marseille (loan)	20	(0)
2020–2022	Marseille	38	(2)
2022–2023	Al Nassr	22	(1)
2023–2024	Al Qadsiah	19	(0)
National team
2013	Spain U21	1	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:53, 3 September 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Álvaro González Soberón (born on January 8, 1990), often called just Álvaro, is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a central defender, which means he helps protect his team's goal.

Álvaro started his football journey with Racing de Santander in Spain. He then played for several other Spanish teams like Zaragoza, Espanyol, and Villarreal. In total, he played 233 matches in La Liga, Spain's top football league, scoring five goals. In 2019, he moved to the French club Olympique de Marseille, first on loan and then permanently.

A big moment in his career was winning the 2013 European Under-21 Championship with the Spanish Under-21 team.

Álvaro González Soberón: A Football Star
Career Statistics
Career Highlights
See also

Álvaro González Soberón: A Football Star

Early Career in Spain

Álvaro was born in Potes, a town in Cantabria, Spain. He grew up playing football in the youth system of his local club, Racing de Santander. He made his first professional appearance in the 2009–10 season. He played 23 games for the club's reserve team, Racing B.

On May 1, 2011, Álvaro made his debut for Racing Santander's main team in La Liga. He played 82 minutes in a 2–0 home win against RCD Mallorca. After this, he signed a four-year contract with Racing. He became a regular starter in the 2011–12 season, even though his team was relegated to a lower league that year.

Moving to Zaragoza

On July 11, 2012, Álvaro joined Real Zaragoza on a four-year deal. He quickly became a key player for them. In his first year with Zaragoza, he was a first-choice player. However, his team also moved down to the Segunda División, which is Spain's second division.

Álvaro scored his first goal for Zaragoza on November 10, 2012. It was in an exciting match where his team won 5–3 against Deportivo de La Coruña.

Time at Espanyol and Villarreal

On July 28, 2014, Álvaro returned to Spain's top league, La Liga. He signed a five-year contract with RCD Espanyol. He played for Espanyol for two seasons.

Then, on August 31, 2016, he moved to Villarreal CF with a four-year contract. He made his first appearance for Villarreal on September 15, 2016. This was in a UEFA Europa League match against FC Zürich, which Villarreal won 2–1. Ten days later, he played his first league game for Villarreal against CA Osasuna.

Adventures in France and Saudi Arabia

Álvaro playing for Marseille at Lens in February 2021

On July 19, 2019, Álvaro joined the French club Olympique de Marseille. He first joined on a loan for the season, and then the move became permanent. During a Ligue 1 match against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in September 2020, he was involved in a big fight on the field. This incident led to five players getting red cards.

Álvaro scored his first goal in the French league on February 17, 2021. It was the opening goal in a 3–2 home win against OGC Nice. In March 2022, he stopped being a regular player for Marseille. He returned to Spain during an international break and later left the club on August 1, 2022.

On August 29, 2022, Álvaro signed a one-year deal with Al Nassr FC in the Saudi Professional League. He scored one goal for them on May 8, 2023, in a 1–1 draw against Al-Khaleej FC.

Later, on July 20, 2023, Álvaro joined Al Qadsiah FC, another Saudi club, on a free transfer.

Playing for Spain

Álvaro played one game for the Spanish Under-21 team. This happened on June 12, 2013, in a match against the Netherlands. Spain won that game 3–0. His team went on to win the UEFA European Championship that year in Israel.

Career Statistics

Club	Season	League			Cup¹		League Cup²		Continental³		Other⁴		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Racing Santander B	2009–10	Segunda División B	23	0	—								23	0
Racing Santander	2010–11	La Liga	3	0	0	0	—						3	0
	2011–12	La Liga	34	1	1	0	—						35	1
	Total		37	1	1	0	—						38	1
Zaragoza	2012–13	La Liga	33	1	4	0	—						37	1
	2013–14	Segunda División	39	1	1	0	—						40	1
	Total		72	2	5	0	—						77	2
Espanyol	2014–15	La Liga	36	1	6	0	—						42	1
	2015–16	La Liga	36	0	2	0	—						38	0
	2016–17	La Liga	2	0	0	0	—						2	0
	Total		74	1	8	0	—						82	1
Villarreal	2016–17	La Liga	23	1	4	0	—		5	0	—		32	1
	2017–18	La Liga	33	0	2	0	—		3	0	—		38	0
	2018–19	La Liga	33	1	1	0	—		7	0	—		41	1
	Total		89	2	7	0	—		15	0	—		111	2
Marseille (loan)	2019–20	Ligue 1	20	0	4	1	0	0	—		—		24	1
Marseille	2020–21	Ligue 1	32	2	1	0	—		6	0	1	0	40	2
	2021–22	Ligue 1	6	0	2	0	—		3	0	—		11	0
	Total		58	2	7	1	0	0	9	0	1	0	75	3
Career total			353	8	28	1	0	0	24	0	1	0	406	9