Alejandro Balde facts for kids
.jpg)
Balde playing for Spain U17 in 2019
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alejandro Balde Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | 18 October 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Barcelona | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2009 | Sant Gabriel | ||
| 2009–2011 | Espanyol | ||
| 2011–2021 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Barcelona B | 29 | (0) |
| 2021– | Barcelona | 88 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Spain U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Spain U17 | 9 | (0) |
| 2019 | Spain U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2021 | Spain U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2022 | Spain U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Spain | 7 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:57, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 October 2023 |
|||
Alejandro Balde Martínez (born on October 18, 2003) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a left-back for the famous Spanish club Barcelona.
Contents
Early Life and Club Journey
Alejandro Balde was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. His father is from Guinea-Bissau, and his mother is from the Dominican Republic. Balde started playing football at a young age.
He joined Barcelona in 2011 when he was eight years old. Before that, he played for Espanyol. In July 2021, he signed a new contract with Barcelona. This contract was set to last until 2024. It included a very high release clause of 500 million euros.
Breaking into the First Team
Balde showed great skill during the pre-season games in the summer of 2021. He became the main backup for Jordi Alba, another left-back, at the Camp Nou stadium. He was on the bench for the first two matches of the season.
On September 14, 2021, Balde played his first official game for Barcelona's main team. He came on as a substitute for Jordi Alba in a UEFA Champions League match against Bayern Munich.
Key Role and First Goal
Starting from the 2022–23 season, coach Xavi gave Balde a much bigger role. He started more league games than Jordi Alba. He also played more minutes in important matches.
On May 14, 2023, Balde scored his first goal for Barcelona. This happened in an away game against Espanyol. Barcelona won the match 4–2, and this victory helped them win the league title that season.
New Contract and Injury
On September 20, 2023, Barcelona announced that Balde would sign a new contract. This contract would keep him at the club until 2028. His buyout clause was set even higher, at €1 billion.
However, on January 24, 2024, Balde suffered a hamstring injury in his right leg. This happened during a Copa del Rey quarter-final match against Athletic Bilbao. He had to leave the game and needed surgery. This injury meant he missed the rest of that season.
On January 12, 2025, Balde scored his first goal in an El Clásico match. This was during the 2025 Supercopa de España final. He scored Barcelona's fourth goal in their 5–2 win.
Playing for Spain
Alejandro Balde could have played for either Guinea-Bissau or Spain. This is because of his parents' backgrounds. However, he chose to play for Spain, also known as La Roja.
He received a surprise call-up to the Spain national team just two days before the 2022 FIFA World Cup began. This happened because another player, José Gayà, got injured. On November 23, 2022, Balde played his first international game for Spain. It was a 7–0 win against Costa Rica. He came on as a substitute for Jordi Alba.
How He Plays
Balde is known for his amazing speed and how well he can dribble the ball. He is also very good at helping his team attack. His speed helps him move the ball quickly past opposing players.
Achievements
Team Awards
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2022–23, 2024–25
- Copa del Rey: 2024–25
- Supercopa de España: 2023, 2025
Individual Awards
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2022–23
- IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2023
- IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) UEFA Team: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Alejandro Balde para niños
