Jordi Alba facts for kids
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Alba with Inter Miami in 2025
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Jordi Alba Ramos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Inter Miami | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Hospitalense | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2005 | Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Cornellà | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Valencia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Cornellà | 15 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Valencia B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | → Gimnàstic (loan) | 35 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Valencia | 74 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2023 | Barcelona | 313 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Inter Miami | 54 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Spain U19 | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Spain U20 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Spain U21 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Spain U23 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2023 | Spain | 93 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2013 | Catalonia | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:19, 20 July 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jordi Alba Ramos (born on March 21, 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a left-back for the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. Many people think he is one of the best full-backs of his time.
Jordi Alba started his football journey at Barcelona but later left the club. He then joined UE Cornellà and later moved to Valencia. In 2012, he returned to Barcelona. There, he won many big awards, including five La Liga titles, five Copas del Rey, and one UEFA Champions League.
He played for Spain's youth teams, scoring one goal in 23 games. Alba made his first appearance for the senior Spain team in 2011. He was a key player when Spain won UEFA Euro 2012. He also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He was part of the European Championship teams in 2016 and 2020. Alba was the captain when Spain won the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League in 2023. He announced his retirement from international football in 2023.
Contents
Jordi Alba's Club Career
Starting His Football Journey
Jordi Alba was born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, a city near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. He began playing football in the youth teams of Barcelona, known as La Masia. He played as a left winger back then. However, Barcelona let him go in 2005 because they thought he was too small.
After leaving Barcelona, he joined a nearby club called UE Cornellà. He played there for almost two years. Then, he moved to Valencia for €6,000 to finish his football training.
He helped Valencia's reserve team, Valencia B, get promoted in the 2007–08 season. The next season, he played on loan for Gimnàstic Tarragona, a club in the Segunda División. He started in 22 games for them.
Playing for Valencia
After his loan, Alba returned to Valencia. He played his first game in La Liga on September 13, 2009. Valencia won that game 4–2 against Real Valladolid. He also started in two UEFA Europa League group stage matches.
Because many defenders at Valencia were injured, Alba often played as a left-back during the 2009–10 season. He played very well in this new position. On April 11, 2010, he scored his first goal for Valencia. It was in a 2–3 loss to Mallorca.
In the 2010–11 season, his coach Unai Emery continued to use Alba as a defender. He played in 27 league games, and Valencia finished third in the league. This meant they qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.
In the 2011–12 season, Emery started using both Alba and Jérémy Mathieu on Valencia's left side. This strategy worked very well. Alba and Mathieu often switched positions and helped each other in both attack and defense. Alba later said that Emery was very important in helping him become a great defender.
His Time at Barcelona
On June 28, 2012, Alba signed a five-year contract with Barcelona. The transfer cost €14 million. He played his first official game for Barcelona on August 19. He played the whole game, and Barcelona won 5–1 against Real Sociedad at their home stadium, Camp Nou.
Alba scored his first goal for Barcelona on October 20, 2012, in a 5–4 win against Deportivo de La Coruña. In the next game, against Celtic in the Champions League, he scored in the last minute to help Barcelona win 2–1.
On March 12, 2013, Alba scored his fifth goal of the season. He scored in the last minute to complete Barcelona's 4–0 win over A.C. Milan in the Champions League round of 16. Barcelona had lost the first game 0–2, but they made an amazing comeback. He finished his first season at Barcelona as a league champion.
On June 2, 2015, Alba signed a new five-year contract. His new buyout clause was €150 million. Four days later, he started in the Champions League final. Barcelona won their fifth Champions League title by beating Juventus 3–1. He played in 38 games that season and scored one goal. Barcelona won a treble, which means they won three major trophies in one season.
On May 22, 2016, Alba won his second Copa del Rey. He scored in the 97th minute of the final against Sevilla. Barcelona won 2–0 in extra-time.
On March 11, 2019, Alba agreed to another five-year contract. His new buyout clause was €500 million. In the 2019–20 season, Alba missed about half of the games due to hamstring and muscle injuries.
The 2020–21 season was one of his best. He scored 5 goals and made 13 assists in all competitions. He also won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona.
On August 9, 2021, Jordi Alba became the fourth captain of Barcelona. This happened after captain Lionel Messi left the club. On May 24, 2023, it was announced that Alba would leave Barcelona at the end of the 2022–23 season. He and the club agreed to end his contract a year early.
Joining Inter Miami
On July 20, 2023, Inter Miami announced that they had signed Alba. He signed a contract for one and a half years, with an option for another year. He made his first appearance for the club on August 3 against Orlando City in a Leagues Cup play-off game. He came on in the second half, helping his team win 3–1.
On August 15, he scored his first goal for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup semi-final. They won 4–1 against Philadelphia Union. He won his first title with the club on August 20 when Inter Miami beat Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final after a penalty shootout.
On September 7, Alba scored his first regular season goal for the club in a 3–1 win over Los Angeles FC. On December 9, 2024, Alba extended his contract with Inter Miami. He will stay with the club until the end of the 2025 season.
Jordi Alba's International Career
Jordi Alba played for Spain's youth teams. He was part of the Under-19 team in the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He also played in all four games when Spain won the gold medal at the 2009 Mediterranenan Games. He was also in the squad for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He was called up to the senior national team on September 30, 2011. He made his debut against Scotland on October 11. Spain won 3–1, and Alba helped set up the first goal. His great debut showed he could be the main left-back for Spain for a long time. He was also in the Under-23 squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Alba was chosen by coach Vicente del Bosque for the Euro 2012 finals. He played in every match, and Spain won the tournament. He provided a cross for the first goal in their 2–0 win over France in the quarter-finals. In the final against Italy, he scored the second goal in a 4–0 win.
Alba also played in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. He played four full matches and scored twice in a 3–0 group stage win against Nigeria.
He was part of Spain's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played three games, but Spain, who were the defending champions, were knocked out in the group stage. He was also in the squads for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and UEFA Euro 2020.
When captain Sergio Busquets was absent, Alba became the captain of the team. Alba was chosen for Spain's squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. On June 18, 2023, he captained Spain to win the Nations League Finals for the first time. They beat Croatia 5–4 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw.
Alba announced his retirement from international duty on August 29, 2023. He played 93 matches for Spain and scored nine goals.
Jordi Alba's Playing Style
Jordi Alba is a small, very skilled, fast, and attacking left-back. He can also play as a left winger. He is known for his speed, how well he connects with teammates, his ball control, and his ability to find good positions. He is also great at making attacking runs into open spaces and getting up the side of the field. He can deliver good crosses into the box, which helps him set up goals for his teammates.
He is also a strong tackler. Some experts used to say his defending was a weakness, but he improved this part of his game as he got older. His speed and stamina mean he can be very involved in both his team's attacks and defense. He can quickly go from one end of the field to the other, often running forward to get past players and score goals, or falling back to defend when his team loses the ball.
When he was at his best, his connection with Lionel Messi made them one of the most effective attacking duos in football. Many people in the media see Alba as a top standard for left-backs in Europe. Other famous left-backs like Joan Capdevila and Roberto Carlos have praised his playing style and skills. He is also thought to be one of the fastest players of his generation and one of the quickest full-backs ever.
Jordi Alba's Personal Life
Jordi Alba and his partner Romarey Ventura have three children.
Jordi Alba's Career Achievements
Here are some of the major trophies Jordi Alba has won:
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23
- Copa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21
- Supercopa de España: 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023
- UEFA Champions League: 2014–15
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2015
Inter Miami
- Supporters' Shield: 2024
- Leagues Cup: 2023
Spain U20
- Mediterranean Games: 2009
Spain
- UEFA European Championship: 2012
- UEFA Nations League: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15
- UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2018–19
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15
- ESM Team of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19
- MLS Best XI: 2024
- MLS All-Star: 2024, 2025
- Inter Miami Defensive Player of the Year: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Jordi Alba para niños
