David Alaba facts for kids
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Alaba with Bayern Munich in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Alaba | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Vienna, Austria | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Real Madrid | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | SV Aspern | ||
| 2002–2008 | Austria Wien | ||
| 2008–2009 | Bayern Munich | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Austria Wien II | 5 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Bayern Munich II | 33 | (1) |
| 2010–2021 | Bayern Munich | 281 | (22) |
| 2011 | → 1899 Hoffenheim (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2021– | Real Madrid | 74 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007–2009 | Austria U17 | 20 | (5) |
| 2010 | Austria U19 | 5 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Austria U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 2009– | Austria | 107 | (15) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:43, 24 April 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 08:30, 24 March 2025 (UTC) |
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David Alaba (born 24 June 1992) is an Austrian professional footballer. He plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Real Madrid. He is also the captain of the Austria national team.
Alaba used to play mainly as a left-back. He was considered one of the best in the world in that position. He started his career in the youth system of Bayern Munich. He then moved up to the reserve team for the 2009–10 season. In 2011, he joined TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on loan.
After returning to Bayern, Alaba became a key player. He played over 400 games for Bayern Munich. He won 27 trophies with them. This included ten Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles (in 2013 and 2020). Both Champions League wins were part of a treble, meaning they also won the league and a cup in the same season. He was named in the UEFA Team of the Year three times.
In 2021, Alaba joined Real Madrid. He won the La Liga, Supercopa, and Champions League in his first season. In 2024, he won La Liga and the Champions League again. This made him the only player to win the Champions League twice with different teams.
Alaba is Austria's second youngest player to play for their senior national team. He made his debut in 2009 when he was 17. He has played over 100 games for his country. He played for Austria in UEFA Euro 2016 and UEFA Euro 2020. Many people think he is one of the best Austrian players ever. He was voted Austrian Footballer of the Year ten times. This included six times in a row from 2011 to 2016.
Contents
Club Career
Starting Out in Football
David Alaba was born in Vienna, Austria. He began playing football at a local club called SV Aspern. He was 10 years old when he joined the youth team of FK Austria Wien. He quickly moved up through the different age groups. In April 2008, he was even on the bench for a first-team match. He also played five games for Austria Wien's reserve team. In the summer of 2008, he moved to Germany to join Bayern Munich.
Playing for Bayern Munich
Youth, Reserves, and a Loan Spell
Alaba started in Bayern's youth system. He played for the under-17 and under-19 teams. For the 2009–10 season, he was promoted to the reserve team. He played his first game in August 2009 against Dynamo Dresden. He scored his first professional goal for Bayern Munich II on 29 August 2009.
He was part of Bayern Munich's squad for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. In January 2010, he started training with the first team. On 10 February 2010, he made his first-team debut in a DFB-Pokal game. He came on as a substitute and helped set up a goal for Franck Ribéry. At 17 years, 7 months, and 8 days old, he became Bayern's youngest player ever in a competitive game.
In January 2011, Alaba went on loan to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He stayed there until the end of the 2010–11 season. He scored his first goal in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim in a 2–2 draw.
Becoming a Regular Player (2011–2013)
Alaba returned to Bayern at the start of the 2011–12 season. He quickly became a regular player in the main team. On 23 October 2011, he scored his first league goal for Bayern. In December, he was named Austrian Footballer of the Year for the first time. He became a starter for Bayern in the second half of the 2011–12 Bundesliga season.
On 25 April 2012, he played in the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. He scored Bayern's first penalty in the shootout, which they won. However, he could not play in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final because he had received a yellow card.
On 5 December, Alaba scored his first Champions League goal. This was in a 4–1 win against BATE Borisov in the 2012–13 season. In December, he won the Austrian Footballer of the Year award for the second year in a row. On 2 April 2013, Alaba scored a very fast goal (25.02 seconds) in the Champions League against Juventus. On 25 May, he played the whole game as Bayern won the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final 2–1 against Borussia Dortmund.
More Trophies and Awards (2013–2015)
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During the 2013–14 season, Alaba played in several important matches. These included the 2013 DFL-Supercup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. On 2 December 2013, he signed a new contract with Bayern Munich until 2018. He was named Austrian Footballer of the Year for the third time in December. In January 2014, he was chosen as the left-back in the UEFA Team of the Year 2013.
In December 2014, Alaba won the Austrian Footballer of the Year award for the fourth time. In January 2015, fans voted him into the UEFA.com Team of the Year 2014. This was his second time in a row. On 31 March, Alaba got a knee injury while playing for Austria. This injury made him miss the rest of the season for Bayern.
Later Years at Bayern (2015–2021)
In August 2015, Alaba made a mistake against his old club Hoffenheim. This led to the quickest Bundesliga goal ever, scored in just nine seconds. In December, he was named Austrian Footballer of the Year for the fifth time in a row. In January 2016, he was voted into the UEFA.com Team of the Year 2015 for the third time. On 18 March, he extended his contract with Bayern until 2021. In December, he won the Austrian Footballer of the Year award for the sixth year running. On 10 February 2018, Alaba played his 200th Bundesliga game.
During the 2019–20 season, Alaba started playing as a centre-back. He did this because many defenders were injured. He quickly became a strong leader in the defense. On 23 August 2020, he played as a centre-back in the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final. Bayern won 1–0 against Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern Munich won their second treble that season. This meant Alaba won his second continental treble.
After many talks about a new contract, Alaba decided to leave Bayern Munich. He announced in February 2021 that he would leave after 13 years with the club.
Moving to Real Madrid
On 28 May 2021, Real Madrid announced they had signed Alaba. He joined them on 1 July with a five-year contract. He took the number 4 jersey, which was worn by the previous captain Sergio Ramos. He played his first game for Real Madrid on 14 August. He scored his first goal on 24 October in a 2–1 win against Barcelona. This was his first El Clásico goal. On 6 April 2022, Alaba played his 100th Champions League game.
On 10 August 2022, he scored the first goal in the 2022 UEFA Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt. Real Madrid won that game 2–0. On 14 August 2022, he scored the winning goal for Real Madrid from a free kick.
On 17 December 2023, Alaba suffered a serious knee injury during a match against Villarreal. He tore a ligament in his left knee. This required surgery and a long recovery. He returned to playing on 19 January 2025 in a 4–1 win against Las Palmas.
International Career
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Alaba played for Austria at under-17, under-19, and under-21 levels. In October 2009, he was called up to the senior Austria national team. He made his debut against France. This made him the youngest player ever for the Austria national team. He scored his first goal for Austria on 16 October 2012. This was in a World Cup Qualifying game against Kazakhstan.
At just 19 years old, Alaba won the Austrian Footballer of the Year award in 2011. He won it again in December 2012. On 10 September 2013, Alaba scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Ireland. He also scored the final goal in Austria's 3–0 win against the Faroe Islands.
Alaba was Austria's top scorer in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He scored six goals.
On 8 September 2015, he scored a penalty kick against Sweden. Austria won 4–1. This win helped Austria qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. This was their first time successfully qualifying for the European Championship. Alaba played in all three group matches, but Austria finished last in their group.
On 24 March 2017, he was captain for Austria for the first time. This was in a World Cup qualification game against Moldova. Austria won 2–0. Alaba played in eight matches, but Austria did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Alaba was captain for Austria during UEFA Euro 2020. They reached the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
On 17 June 2023, Alaba played his 100th match for Austria. This was a 1–1 draw against Belgium. He could not play in UEFA Euro 2024 due to his injury. However, he was still named as a "non-playing captain" for the team.
How He Plays
Alaba is a very flexible player. He often plays as a left-back. He has also played as a centre-back, a central midfielder, and a left midfielder. While he might not be known for super-fast speed, he has a powerful left foot.
Besides being good at defending, he is also known for his attacking skills. He can understand the game well. He often carries the ball forward to start attacks and makes good passes to his teammates. Alaba has shown his talent from a young age. He is also known for his strong mindset, being consistent, and his leadership on the field.
Personal Life
Alaba was born in Vienna. His father, George, is from Nigeria and is a prince. He is also a rapper and a DJ. His mother, Gina, is from the Philippines and worked as a nurse. David has a sister named Rose May Alaba, who is a professional singer. He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Outside Football
Alaba was featured on the cover of the video games FIFA 15 and FIFA 16 in Austria. He appeared alongside Lionel Messi.
Honours
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
- DFB-Pokal: 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20
- DFL-Supercup: 2016, 2018, 2020
- UEFA Champions League: 2012–13, 2019–20
- UEFA Super Cup: 2013, 2020
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2013, 2020
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2021–22, 2023–24
- Copa del Rey: 2022–23
- Supercopa de España: 2022
- UEFA Champions League: 2021–22, 2023–24
- UEFA Super Cup: 2022
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2022
Individual Awards
- Austrian Footballer of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Austrian Sports Personality of the Year: 2013, 2014
- FIFA FIFPro World11: 2021
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Group stage: 2015–16
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2019–20, 2020–21
- ESM Team of the Year: 2013–14
- France Football World XI: 2015
- Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16
- ESPN FC Best Left-Back 2016
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: David Alaba para niños
