Jesús Navas facts for kids
Navas playing for Sevilla in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Jesús Navas González | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 November 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Los Palacios y Villafranca, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back, winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Los Palacios | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Sevilla | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Sevilla B | 33 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2013 | Sevilla | 285 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Manchester City | 123 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2024 | Sevilla | 231 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 672 | (33) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Spain U21 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2024 | Spain | 56 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jesús Navas González (born 21 November 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a right-back or right winger.
Navas spent most of his career with Sevilla, a famous Spanish club. He won eight major titles with them. These included four Europa Leagues and two Copas del Rey. In 2013, he moved to Manchester City in England. There, he helped them win the 2013–14 Premier League. He returned to Sevilla in 2017. He holds the club record for the most games played, with 705 appearances.
Navas also played for the Spanish national team from 2009 to 2024. He helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup. He also won two European Championships and the 2022–23 Nations League. He played 56 games for his country and scored five goals.
Contents
Starting Out at Sevilla
Jesús Navas was born in Los Palacios y Villafranca, Spain. He joined Sevilla's youth team when he was 15. In the 2003–04 season, he played his first game for the main team. This was in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
He played a few more games that season. In 2004–05, he became a full-time player for the senior squad. He scored two goals in 22 games. Sevilla extended his contract until 2010.
In 2005–06, Navas played a key role. Sevilla won the UEFA Cup (now called the Europa League). He played in all 12 matches, including the final. He was often named one of the best players in the league.
For the next three years, Navas was a regular player for Sevilla. He was known for his assists. He also scored nine league goals. He helped Sevilla win the Copa del Rey in 2007. They also finished third in the league in 2009.
In the 2009–10 season, Navas played over 50 games. He made many important passes. On 19 May 2010, he scored a goal in the Copa del Rey final. Sevilla won 2–0 against Atlético Madrid.
Navas had some injuries in the 2010–11 season. He played less than half of Sevilla's games. He scored a rare header goal against Barcelona.
Moving to Manchester City
On 4 June 2013, Navas left Sevilla to join Premier League club Manchester City. The transfer was worth about £14.9 million. He said he was happy to take this new step in his career.
Navas played his first league game for City on 19 August 2013. He scored his first two goals on 24 November. This was in a big 6–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
On 2 March 2014, Navas scored in the League Cup final. City beat Sunderland 3–1 to win the trophy. He played 48 games in his first season. He helped City win their fourth national championship.
Navas returned to Sevilla's stadium on 3 November 2015. He played a full game in the Champions League. In the League Cup final, he came on as a substitute. He scored a penalty in the shootout against Liverpool, helping City win.
Later in the 2016–17 season, Navas started playing as a right-back. This was a new position for him. On 25 May, Manchester City announced he would be leaving the club.
Coming Back to Sevilla
On 1 August 2017, Navas returned to Sevilla. He signed a four-year contract. He wore the number 16 shirt, which belonged to his friend Antonio Puerta, who had passed away.
Navas continued to play as a right-back sometimes. On 20 September 2017, he played his 400th game for Sevilla. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win. He broke the club record for most games played on 16 December.
Navas became the team captain for the 2018–19 season. On 18 October 2018, Sevilla named their training ground stadium Estadio Jesús Navas. This was to honor his amazing career.
On 3 January 2020, Navas became the first player to reach 500 games for Sevilla. On 21 August, he captained the team to a 3–2 win. This was in the Europa League final against Inter Milan. It was his third Europa League title with the club.
Navas signed a new three-year deal in June 2021. On 31 May 2023, at 37 years old, he started in the Europa League final. Sevilla won against Roma in a penalty shootout. Navas made a great cross that led to a goal for Sevilla. He was named the Player of the Season for the Europa League.
On 16 May 2024, Navas said he would leave Sevilla on 30 June. He later said the club hadn't offered him a new contract. After this, the club chairman offered him a lifetime contract, which he accepted.
Navas scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Getafe on 14 September 2024. He became Sevilla's oldest goal scorer in La Liga at 38 years and 298 days. On 14 December, he played his final game at the Sánchez Pizjuán stadium. He received a standing ovation from the fans. His very last game was against Real Madrid.
After joining Sevilla's main team, Navas played for the Spain under-21s. He scored in a 1–1 draw against France in 2004. Navas faced challenges with being away from home, which sometimes made it hard for him to travel with his teams. He worked hard to overcome this. In August 2009, he said he wanted to play for Spain's senior team.
On 9 November 2009, coach Vicente del Bosque called Navas up for friendly games. On 14 November, he played his first game for Spain against Argentina. Spain won 2–1.
Navas was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He scored his first goal for Spain on 3 June 2010. This was in a warm-up game against South Korea. He played in three matches in the tournament. This included the last 30 minutes of the final against the Netherlands. Spain won their first World Cup trophy!
Navas was also picked for UEFA Euro 2012. He played in several games as a substitute. On 18 June, he scored the only goal in a game against Croatia. This helped Spain finish first in their group. Spain went on to win the tournament.
He was also part of the team for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. On 27 June, in the semi-final against Italy, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout.
Navas was not chosen for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 15 March 2019, after almost six years, he returned to the national team. This was for Euro 2020 qualifying matches.
Three years later, at 37, Navas was selected for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He played the whole game against Italy in the semi-finals. He became the oldest player to play for Spain at 37 years and 206 days. Three days later, he started in the final against Croatia. Spain won after a shootout. This made him the first player ever to win a World Cup, a European Championship, and a Nations League title!
On 7 June 2024, Navas was named in the squad for Euro 2024. He captained the team in a 1–0 win over Albania. He became the oldest Spanish player to play in a major tournament at 38 years and 216 days. Spain won the tournament, beating England 2–1 in the final. After this, he announced he was retiring from international football.
Navas was known for his amazing speed. He was also great at dribbling the ball. He could run quickly at opposing defenders, which made him a tough player to stop.
Navas's older brother, Marco, was also a footballer. He played as a midfielder. Marco also came from Sevilla's youth academy. Their family has Gitano/Romani heritage.
Honours and Awards
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Sevilla
- Copa del Rey: 2006–07, 2009–10
- Supercopa de España: 2007
- UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2019–20, 2022–23
- UEFA Super Cup: 2006; runner-up: 2023
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2013–14
- Football League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16
Spain
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2012, 2024
- UEFA Nations League: 2022–23
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013
Individual Awards
- La Liga Best Attacking Midfielder: 2009–10
- La Liga Team of The Season: 2018–19
- UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2019–20, 2022–23
- UEFA Europa League Player of the Season: 2022–23
Special Recognition
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Jesús Navas para niños
- List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
