Jordi Alba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jordi Alba

Alba lining up for Spain in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth	(1989-03-21) 21 March 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
Height	1.70 m
Playing position	Left-back
Club information
Current club	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	35	(5)
National team
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)
Honours Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Winner 2012 Poland–Ukraine FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up 2013 Brazil UEFA Nations League Winner 2023 Netherlands
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 03:31, 20 October 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Jordi Alba Ramos (born March 21, 1989) is a Spanish professional football player. He plays as a left-back for the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. Many people think he is one of the best left-backs of his time.

Alba started his football journey at Barcelona as a young player. But he was later released from the club. After that, he joined Cornellà and then moved to Valencia. In 2012, he returned to Barcelona. With Barcelona, he won many big awards, including five La Liga titles, five Copas del Rey, and one UEFA Champions League.

Jordi Alba also played for the Spanish national team. He played 23 games and scored one goal for Spain's youth teams. He joined the senior 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 stopped playing for the national team in 2023.

Jordi Alba's Club Career

Starting Out in Football

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. At first, he played as a left winger. But in 2005, Barcelona let him go because they thought he was too small.

After leaving Barcelona, he joined a nearby club called Cornellà. He played there for almost two years. Then, he moved to Valencia for a small fee of €6,000. This is where he finished his training as a young footballer.

Alba 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 (second division). He started 22 games for them.

Playing for Valencia

Alba playing for Valencia in 2011

After his loan, Alba returned to Valencia. He played his first game in La Liga (Spain's top league) on September 13, 2009. Valencia won that game 4–2 against Real Valladolid. He also played in two UEFA Europa League games.

Because many defenders at Valencia were injured, Alba started playing 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 game they lost 2–3 to Mallorca.

In the 2010–11 season, his coach, Unai Emery, continued to use Alba as a defender. He often competed with Jérémy Mathieu for the left-back spot. Alba 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 next season, Emery started using both Alba and Mathieu on the left side of the field. This worked very well. Alba and Mathieu often switched positions and helped each other in both attacking and defending. Alba later said that his coach was very important in helping him become a great defender.

Time at Barcelona

Alba taking on Jorginho of Napoli in 2014

On June 28, 2012, Jordi Alba signed a five-year contract with Barcelona. Barcelona paid €14 million to get him. He played his first official game for Barcelona on August 19. Barcelona won 5–1 against Real Sociedad at their home stadium, Camp Nou.

Alba scored his first goal for Barcelona on October 20, 2012. It was the first goal in a 5–4 win against Deportivo La Coruña. He also scored an own goal in that game. In the next game, a Champions League match against Celtic, he scored in the last minute to give Barcelona a 2–1 win.

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 a great comeback. This was the first time a team in the Champions League had ever come back from such a big first-leg loss. Alba finished his first season at Barcelona as a league champion.

On June 2, 2015, Alba agreed to a new five-year contract with Barcelona. His new contract included a buyout clause of €150 million. Four days later, he played in the Champions League final. Barcelona won their fifth Champions League title by beating Juventus 3–1. Alba 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 title. He scored in the 97th minute of the final against Sevilla. The goal came after a pass from Lionel Messi. Barcelona won the game 2–0 in extra time.

On March 11, 2019, Alba signed another new five-year contract. His buyout clause was set at €500 million.

In the 2019–20 season, Alba missed about half of Barcelona's games. He had a hamstring injury and a muscle injury.

Alba had a great season in 2020–21. He scored 5 goals and made 13 assists in all competitions. He also won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona.

Alba with Lionel Messi in 2019

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 one year early.

Joining Inter Miami

Alba entering DRV PNK Stadium with Leonardo Campana in 2023

On July 20, 2023, Inter Miami announced that they had signed Jordi Alba. He signed a contract for one and a half years, with an option for another year. He was introduced to the fans just before his first game for the club on August 3. He came on as a substitute in the second half of a Leagues Cup game against Orlando City. Inter Miami won that game 3–1.

On August 15, he scored his first goal for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup semi-final. Inter Miami won 4–1 against Philadelphia Union. He then won his first title with the club on August 20. 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 Inter Miami. They won 3–1 against Los Angeles FC.

Jordi Alba's International Career

Alba with Spain in 2013

Jordi Alba played for Spain's 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 Mediterranean Games. He was also part of the team at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Alba was first called up to the senior national team on September 30, 2011. This was for two qualifying games for UEFA Euro 2012. He played his first game against Scotland on October 11. Spain won 3–1. In that game, Alba made a great pass that led to the first goal. His strong debut showed he could be the long-term left-back for Spain. He was also chosen for the under-23 team for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Alba was part of Vicente del Bosque's team for the Euro 2012 finals. He played in every match as Spain won the tournament. He made a cross that led to 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 was also chosen for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. He played four full games and scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Nigeria.

Alba was in Del Bosque's team 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 squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and UEFA Euro 2020.

When captain Sergio Busquets was absent due to coronavirus, Alba became the captain of the team. Alba was chosen for the Spain squad at the 2022 FIFA 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.

Jordi Alba announced he was stopping his international career on August 29, 2023. He played 93 games for Spain and scored nine goals.

How Jordi Alba Plays Football

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 and sending crosses into the box to help his teammates score.

He is also a strong tackler. While some people used to say his defending was a weakness, he got much better at it as his career went on. His speed and stamina allow him to be very involved in both attacking and defending plays. He can move quickly from one end of the field to the other. He often pushes forward to get past players and score goals, or he falls back to defend when his team loses the ball.

When he was at his best, his connection with Lionel Messi was amazing. They were one of the most effective attacking duos in football. Many experts see Alba as a top example for left-backs in Europe. Other famous left-backs like Joan Capdevila and Roberto Carlos have praised his playing style and skill. He is also considered one of the fastest players of his generation and one of the fastest full-backs ever.

Jordi Alba's Personal Life

Jordi Alba and his partner, Romarey Ventura, have three children together.

Jordi Alba's Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

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

List of international goals scored by Jordi Alba

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	1 July 2012	Olympic Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine	11	Italy	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2012
2	12 October 2012	Dynama Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	13	Belarus	1–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	23 June 2013	Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil	20	Nigeria	1–0	3–0	2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
4					3–0
5	6 September 2013	Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland	24	Finland	1–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	5 September 2015	Estadio Carlos Tartiere, Oviedo, Spain	36	Slovakia	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
7	11 November 2017	La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain	57	Costa Rica	1–0	5–0	Friendly
8	14 November 2017	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	58	Russia	1–0	3–3	Friendly
9	24 September 2022	La Romareda, Zaragoza, Spain	86	Switzerland	1–1	1–2	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A

Jordi Alba's Awards and Trophies

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; runner-up: 2013–14, 2018–19
• 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
• FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013

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
• Inter Miami Defensive Player of the Year: 2024

See also

In Spanish: Jordi Alba para niños