Álvaro Morata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Álvaro Morata

Morata celebrating the UEFA Euro 2024 title with Spain
Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-10-23) 23 October 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.90 m
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	AC Milan
Number	7
Youth career
2005–2007	Atlético Madrid
2007–2008	Getafe
2008–2010	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2010–2013	Real Madrid B	83	(45)
2010–2014	Real Madrid	37	(10)
2014–2016	Juventus	64	(15)
2016–2017	Real Madrid	26	(15)
2017–2020	Chelsea	47	(16)
2019–2020	→ Atlético Madrid (loan)	49	(18)
2020–2024	Atlético Madrid	68	(28)
2020–2022	→ Juventus (loan)	67	(20)
2024–	AC Milan	15	(5)
National team‡
2009	Spain U17	6	(2)
2010	Spain U18	2	(3)
2010–2012	Spain U19	13	(11)
2013–2014	Spain U21	13	(13)
2014–	Spain	84	(37)
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Winner 2024 Germany Team UEFA Nations League Winner 2023 Netherlands Team UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2013 Israel Team UEFA European Under-19 Championship Winner 2011 Romania Team FIFA U-17 World Cup Third 2009 Nigeria Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:42, 14 January 2025 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:54, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

Álvaro Borja Morata Martín (born 23 October 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a striker for AC Milan in Italy. He is also the captain of the Spain national team.

Morata started his career at Real Madrid in Spain. He joined their main team in late 2010. After winning the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, he moved to Juventus in Italy in 2014. There, he won the league and cup in both seasons. Real Madrid bought him back in 2016. He then won a La Liga title and another UEFA Champions League title.

In 2017, Morata joined Chelsea in England. In 2019, he returned to Spain to play for Atlético Madrid, first on loan, then permanently. He also had another loan spell at Juventus from 2020 to 2022. In 2024, Morata moved to AC Milan.

Morata played many games for Spain's youth teams. He helped his country win the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He first played for the senior national team in 2014. He has played for Spain in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2016, Euro 2020, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. As captain, he led Spain to victory at Euro 2024.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Real Madrid

Morata joined Real Madrid in 2008. He had previously played for Atlético Madrid and Getafe. He played for Real Madrid's youth teams. In July 2010, he moved up to Real Madrid Castilla, which is Real's reserve team. He had scored 34 goals for the youth team.

Morata training with Real Madrid in 2010

Morata played his first game for Castilla in August 2010. He scored the only goal in a friendly match. On 12 December 2010, he made his debut for Real Madrid's main team. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 win against Real Zaragoza.

In January 2011, some thought Morata would replace an injured player. But the coach, José Mourinho, said Morata needed more time. He said Morata should keep learning with Castilla. During this time, Morata scored five goals in four games for the reserve team.

On 13 February 2011, Morata scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game). This was in a big 7–1 win against Deportivo Fabril. He ended his first season with 14 league goals for Castilla.

Morata celebrates winning the 2013 Puskás Cup with Real Madrid Castilla

Morata scored his first goal for Real Madrid's main team on 11 November 2012. He came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal quickly. This was in a 2–1 away win against Levante. In his first start, he scored after just three minutes. This was against Rayo Vallecano in February 2013.

In the next season, Morata became a regular player. He played under the new coach, Carlo Ancelotti. On 18 March 2014, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League. This was in a 3–1 win against Schalke 04. He finished the league season with eight goals. He also played in the Champions League Final. Real Madrid won against Atlético Madrid.

Moving to Juventus

On 19 July 2014, Morata joined Juventus in Italy. He signed a five-year contract. Real Madrid kept the option to buy him back later. He played his first game in Italy on 13 September. This was in a 2–0 win against Udinese. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for Juventus.

Morata with Juventus in 2014

On 5 October 2014, Morata was sent off (given a red card) in a game against Roma. On 9 November, he scored two goals in a big 7–0 win against Parma. In January 2015, he scored the only goal in a cup game against Parma. This helped Juventus reach the semi-finals.

The next month, he scored the winning goal against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. He also scored in the return match. This helped Juventus win 3–0. On 7 April 2015, Morata was sent off again in a cup semi-final. This meant he missed the final.

In the Champions League semi-final, Morata played against his old club, Real Madrid. He scored in both games. Juventus won 2–1 at home and drew 1–1 away. This meant Juventus reached the final. In the final, on 6 June, he scored an equalizing goal against Barcelona. But Juventus lost the game 3–1.

In August 2015, Morata was injured and missed a month of games. On 15 September, he scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the Champions League. On 30 September, he scored again against Sevilla. This was his fifth goal in the competition. On 10 December 2015, Morata signed a new contract with Juventus until 2020.

On 20 March 2016, he scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Torino. On 21 May, he came off the bench to score the winning goal in the Coppa Italia final. Juventus won 1–0 against A.C. Milan.

Back to Real Madrid

On 21 June 2016, Real Madrid used their option to buy Morata back from Juventus. They paid €30 million. His first game back was on 9 August. This was in a 3–2 win against Sevilla in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup. His first goal came on 27 August. This was in a 2–1 home win against Celta.

On 5 April 2017, Morata scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Leganés. This helped Real Madrid stay ahead in the league. Even though he was often a substitute, he scored 15 league goals. Real Madrid won the league title for the first time in five years. He also scored three goals in the Champions League. Real Madrid won this title for the second year in a row.

Time at Chelsea

2017–18 Season

Morata playing for Chelsea in 2017

On 19 July 2017, Chelsea announced they had agreed to sign Morata. The fee was around £60 million, a club record at the time. He officially joined Chelsea on 21 July.

Morata played his first game for Chelsea in the 2017 FA Community Shield against Arsenal. Chelsea lost on penalties. On 12 August 2017, he scored and assisted a goal in his first Premier League game. This was a 2–3 loss at home to Burnley. On 23 September, he scored his first hat-trick for Chelsea. This was in a 4–0 away win against Stoke City.

On 5 November 2017, Morata scored in a 1–0 home win against Manchester United. He reached ten league goals on 26 December. This was in a 2–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. He finished his first year with 15 goals in all competitions. Chelsea finished fifth in the league.

2018–19 Season

Morata scored his first goal of the next season on 18 August 2018. This was the second goal in a 3–2 home win against Arsenal. On 4 October, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win against MOL Vidi in the UEFA Europa League. A month later, he scored twice to help beat Crystal Palace 3–1 in a league game.

Joining Atlético Madrid

Morata playing for Atlético Madrid in 2019

On 27 January 2019, Morata moved to Atlético Madrid on an 18-month loan. He played his first league game on 3 February. He scored his first goal on 24 February. This was in a 2–0 home win over Villarreal. On 6 July 2019, Atlético Madrid confirmed they would sign Morata permanently. He officially joined the club on 1 July 2020.

On 18 August 2019, Morata scored the only goal in Atlético Madrid's first La Liga game of the season. This was against Getafe. On 1 October 2019, Morata played his 300th professional game. He assisted a goal in a 2–0 win against Lokomotiv Moscow. On 22 October, he scored his first Champions League goal for Atlético. This made him the first player to score for both Real Madrid and Atlético in the Champions League. On 11 March 2020, he scored the final goal in a 3–2 away win against Liverpool in the Champions League. This helped Atlético reach the quarter-finals.

Another Spell at Juventus

Morata playing for Juventus in 2021

Morata returned to Juventus on 22 September 2020. This was a one-year loan deal. He played his first game back on 27 September. He scored his first goal since returning on 17 October. This was in a 1–1 draw against Crotone. Morata scored two goals on 20 October. This helped Juventus win 2–0 in the Champions League against Dynamo Kyiv.

On 20 January 2021, Morata won the Supercoppa Italiana. He scored the second goal in a 2–0 win against Napoli. On 15 June 2021, his loan with Juventus was extended until 30 June 2022. In the 2021–22 season, he scored nine goals in 35 league games. Juventus decided not to buy him permanently.

Back to Atlético Madrid Again

In July 2022, Atlético Madrid confirmed that Morata would return to Madrid. In the 2022–23 Champions League season, Atlético did not do well. However, Morata scored 13 goals in the league. This was his highest number of goals for Atlético in La Liga.

On 28 August 2023, he scored two goals in a big 7–0 win over Rayo Vallecano. This was Atlético's biggest away win in La Liga history. On 24 September 2023, he scored two goals again. This was in a 3–1 win over Real Madrid, his former club. On 3 January 2024, Morata scored his first hat-trick for Atlético. This was in a 4–3 loss to Girona. In the 2023–24 season, he scored 15 goals in La Liga. This was his personal best.

Joining AC Milan

On 19 July 2024, Morata joined Serie A club AC Milan. He signed a four-year contract. He chose to wear the number 7 shirt, which he often wears for the national team. He played his first game for Milan on 17 August. He came on as a substitute and scored in a 2–2 draw against Torino.

International Career

Youth Teams

Morata playing for Spain U19 in 2010

Morata was chosen for the Spain under-17 team in 2009. He played in the U-17 World Cup in Nigeria. Spain finished third in that tournament. After that, he played for the under-19s.

Morata was part of the Spain team that won the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Romania. He was the top scorer in the competition with six goals. He then played for the under-21s in the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Israel. He scored the only goal in the first two group games. He scored his third goal against the Netherlands.

In the semi-final against Norway, Morata scored his fourth goal. He also helped set up another goal. He started in the final against Italy. Spain won 4–2. Morata's four goals in five matches won him the Golden Boot award for top scorer. He was also named in UEFA's team of the tournament.

Senior National Team

On 7 November 2014, Morata was called up to the senior squad. He made his debut on 15 November against Belarus. This was in a Euro 2016 qualifier. On 27 March 2015, he scored his first goal for the senior team. This was the only goal in a win over Ukraine.

He was chosen for the Euro 2016 tournament in France. Morata started and scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Turkey. On 2 September 2017, he scored once to help Spain beat Italy 3–0. He was not chosen for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

On 24 May 2021, he was included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2020. On 19 June, Morata scored the first goal in Spain's game against Poland. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. Morata scored Spain's fourth goal in the Euro 2020 round of 16. This was in the 100th minute against Croatia. Spain won 5–3. In the semi-finals against Italy, he came off the bench to score a goal. This sent the match to extra-time and then to a penalty shootout. Spain lost the shootout. His goal against Italy was his sixth in the European Championship. This broke Fernando Torres' Spanish record.

On 27 September 2022, he scored a goal in the 88th minute. This secured a 1–0 win over Portugal. It helped Spain win their group in the Nations League. In November 2022, he was in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He scored a goal in all three group matches. This was against Costa Rica, Germany, and Japan. He equaled a record set by Telmo Zarra in 1950.

In March 2023, Morata was named captain of the Spain national team. This was for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifying matches. In June 2023, he was in the squad for the Nations League Finals. Spain won this tournament for the first time. On 8 September, he scored his first hat-trick for Spain. This was in a 7–1 win away to Georgia.

Morata was confirmed as Spain's captain for UEFA Euro 2024. He scored the first goal in a 3–0 win over Croatia in Spain's first game. He also assisted a goal in the semi-final win against France. Spain won the final against England 2–1. Morata lifted Spain's trophy as captain.

How He Plays

Morata is a striker. When he was younger, people compared him to Fernando Morientes. This was because of his playing style. At Juventus, he was known for his speed, energy, and strength. He also had good technique and was good at heading the ball. This helped him score many important goals. He is also praised for his leadership on the field.

Personal Life

Morata was born in Madrid, Spain. His parents are Susana Martín and Alfonso Morata. His father helps with his transfer deals.

In March 2014, Morata shaved his head. He did this to show support for children with cancer. He said, "kids with cancer wanted to have my haircut but they couldn't, so I gave myself theirs."

Morata married Alice Campello in Venice on 17 June 2017. They have four children: three sons, Alessandro (born 2018), Leonardo (born 2018), and Edoardo (born 2020); and a daughter, Bella (born 2023). In 2018, Morata changed his shirt number at Chelsea from 9 to 29. This was to honor his twin sons' birthday on 29 July.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Morata goal.

List of international goals scored by Álvaro Morata

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 March 2015	Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain	3	Ukraine	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
2	1 June 2016	Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria	9	South Korea	4–0	6–1	Friendly
3					6–1
4	17 June 2016	Allianz Riviera, Nice, France	11	Turkey	1–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2016
5					3–0
6	21 June 2016	Nouveau Stade, Bordeaux, France	12	Croatia	1–0	1–2	UEFA Euro 2016
7	5 September 2016	Reino de León, León, Spain	15	Liechtenstein	6–0	8–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
8					7–0
9	7 June 2017	Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain	20	Colombia	2–2	2–2	Friendly
10	2 September 2017	Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain	21	Italy	3–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	5 September 2017	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	22	Liechtenstein	2–0	8–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
12					6–0
13	11 November 2017	La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain	23	Costa Rica	2–0	5–0	Friendly
14	26 March 2019	National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta	29	Malta	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
15					2–0
16	10 June 2019	Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain	31	Sweden	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
17	15 November 2019	Ramón de Carranza, Cádiz, Spain	32	Malta	1–0	7–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
18	17 November 2020	La Cartuja, Seville, Spain	36	Germany	1–0	6–0	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
19	25 March 2021	Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain	37	Greece	1–0	1–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
20	19 June 2021	La Cartuja, Seville, Spain	42	Poland	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 2020
21	28 June 2021	Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark	44	Croatia	4–3	5–3 (aet)	UEFA Euro 2020
22	6 July 2021	Wembley Stadium, London, England	46	Italy	1–1	1–1 (aet) 2–4 (p)	UEFA Euro 2020
23	14 November 2021	La Cartuja, Seville, Spain	50	Sweden	1–0	1–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
24	29 March 2022	Riazor, A Coruña, Spain	52	Iceland	1–0	5–0	Friendly
25					2–0
26	2 June 2022	Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain	53	Portugal	1–0	1–1	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
27	27 September 2022	Estádio Municipal, Braga, Portugal	57	Portugal	1–0	1–0	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
28	23 November 2022	Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar	58	Costa Rica	7–0	7–0	2022 FIFA World Cup
29	27 November 2022	Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar	59	Germany	1–0	1–1	2022 FIFA World Cup
30	1 December 2022	Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	60	Japan	1–0	1–2	2022 FIFA World Cup
31	8 September 2023	Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia	65	Georgia	1–0	7–1	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
32					4–0
33					5–1
34	12 October 2023	La Cartuja, Seville, Spain	67	Scotland	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
35	8 June 2024	Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Palma, Spain	73	Northern Ireland	2–1	5–1	Friendly
36	15 June 2024	Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany	74	Croatia	1–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2024
37	15 October 2024	Estadio Nuevo Arcángel, Córdoba, Spain	82	Serbia	2–0	3–0	2024-25 UEFA Nations League A

Honours and Awards

Morata has won many titles with his clubs and the Spanish national team.

Real Madrid Castilla

• Segunda División B: 2011–12

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2011–12, 2016–17
• Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14
• UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2016–17
• UEFA Super Cup: 2016
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2016

Juventus

• Serie A: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Coppa Italia: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2020–21
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2020

Chelsea

• FA Cup: 2017–18
• UEFA Europa League: 2018–19

AC Milan

• Supercoppa Italiana: 2024–25

Spain U17

• FIFA U-17 World Cup third place: 2009

Spain U19

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2011

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2013

Spain

• UEFA European Championship: 2024
• UEFA Nations League: 2022–23

Individual Awards

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011
• UEFA European Under-19 Championship Golden Boot (top scorer): 2011
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2013
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Boot (top scorer): 2013
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15

Images for kids

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  Morata training with Real Madrid in 2010

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  Morata celebrates winning the 2013 Puskás Cup with Real Madrid Castilla

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  Morata with Juventus in 2014

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  Morata playing for Chelsea in 2017

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  Morata playing for Atlético Madrid in 2019

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  Morata playing for Juventus in 2021

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  Morata playing for Spain U19 in 2010

See Also

In Spanish: Álvaro Morata para niños