Marco Asensio facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Asensio and the second or maternal family name is Willemsen.

Quick facts for kids
Marco Asensio

Asensio with Real Madrid in 2018

Personal information

Date of birth

21 January 1996 (age 29)

Place of birth

Palma, Spain

Height

1.82 m

Playing position

Winger, attacking midfielder

Club information

Current club

Paris Saint-Germain

Number

Youth career

2003–2006

Platges de Calvià

2006–2013

Mallorca

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2013–2014

Mallorca B

(3)

2013–2014

Mallorca

(4)

2014–2023

Real Madrid

191

(37)

2014–2015

→ Mallorca (loan)

(3)

2015–2016

→ Espanyol (loan)

(4)

2023–

Paris Saint-Germain

(6)

National team^‡

2012

Spain U16

(0)

2014–2015

Spain U19

(8)

2015–2017

Spain U21

(7)

2021

Spain Olympic

(1)

2016–

Spain

(2)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Spain
UEFA Nations League
Winner	2023 Netherlands	Team
Olympic Games
Silver	2020 Tokyo	Team
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Runner-up	2017 Poland	Team
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner	2015 Greece	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:41, 6 December 2024 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:58, 8 September 2023 (UTC)

Marco Asensio Willemsen (born on January 21, 1996) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for the French club Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national team.

Marco started his football journey with Mallorca. Later, in 2014, he signed with Real Madrid. While at Real Madrid, he was loaned back to Mallorca and also to Espanyol. With Real Madrid, he won many important awards, including three Champions League titles and three La Liga trophies. In 2023, he moved to the French club Paris Saint-Germain.

Asensio first played for Spain's senior national team in 2016. He represented his country in the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Early Life and Football Start
Club Career Highlights
International Career
Personal Life
Honours and Awards
- Team Honours
- Individual Awards
Images for kids
See Also

Early Life and Football Start

Marco Asensio was born in Palma, a city on the island of Majorca in Spain. His mother was Dutch, and his father was Spanish. He joined the Mallorca football club in 2006 when he was 10 years old. Sadly, his mother passed away when he was 15 years old.

When Marco was younger, he had some problems with his knees because he was growing very quickly. These issues made it hard for him to play sometimes, but they got better as he became a teenager.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Mallorca

Big football clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona noticed Marco's talent early on. He started playing for Mallorca's reserve team in the 2013–14 season, even though he was still a junior player. He made his first game for Mallorca's main team on October 27, 2013.

Marco quickly impressed everyone with his skills. He was promoted to the first team by the manager. He scored his first professional goal on March 16, 2014, helping his team win 2–0. He became a regular starter and scored several more goals that season.

Joining Real Madrid

On November 24, 2014, Real Madrid agreed to sign Marco Asensio. The deal was officially announced on December 5. Marco, who had been a fan of Real Madrid since he was a child, signed a six-year contract. He stayed with Mallorca on loan until the end of the 2014–15 season. Interestingly, Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal played a part in Marco's move to Real Madrid!

Loan to Espanyol

After training with Real Madrid during the pre-season in 2015, Marco was loaned to Espanyol, another team in Spain's top league, La Liga. He played his first game for Espanyol on September 19, 2015. He had a great time at Espanyol, providing 12 assists (passes that lead to a goal) during his time there.

Returning to Real Madrid

Marco returned to Real Madrid for the 2016–17 season. His first official game back was on August 9, where he played the full 120 minutes and scored a fantastic goal from 25 meters away. This helped Real Madrid win the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla with a score of 3–2. A few days later, he scored again in his first league start.

In his first full season, Marco played 23 times and scored three goals as Real Madrid won the national championship for the first time since 2012. He also scored three goals in the Champions League that year, including one in the final against Juventus. This goal helped Real Madrid win their 12th Champions League title!

More Success at Real Madrid

Asensio playing for Real Madrid against Juventus in 2018

Marco started the 2017–18 season strong, scoring a goal from 25 yards in a 3–1 win over Barcelona in the Supercopa de España. He scored a similar amazing goal in the second game, helping Real Madrid win the trophy.

On September 28, 2017, Marco signed a new contract with Real Madrid until 2023. On February 18, 2018, he scored two goals in a 5–3 win against Real Betis. One of these goals was Real Madrid's 6,000th goal in the Spanish top division! He played in 11 Champions League games that season, scoring one goal, as Real Madrid won their third Champions League title in a row.

Final Seasons with Real Madrid

Asensio at a trophy presentation ceremony in 2022

On July 24, 2019, Marco suffered a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) during a pre-season match. This kept him out of action for a long time. However, he made a great comeback on June 19, 2020, in a 3–0 win against Valencia. He scored with his very first touch after coming onto the field and then helped set up another goal. He played in the final part of the season, scoring three goals in nine games, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga title.

On September 22, 2021, Marco scored his first ever hat-trick (three goals in one game) against his old club, Mallorca. Real Madrid won that game 6–1.

On May 28, 2022, Marco was on the bench when Real Madrid won their 14th UEFA Champions League title against Liverpool. He finished the 2021–22 season with 10 goals in 30 league games. He also helped Real Madrid win the 2021–22 La Liga title that season.

On June 3, 2023, Real Madrid announced that Marco would be leaving the club when his contract ended.

Moving to Paris Saint-Germain

On July 6, 2023, the French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) announced that they had signed Marco Asensio. He signed a contract until June 2026. He played his first game for PSG on August 12. Two weeks later, in his second match for the club, Marco scored his first goal for PSG, helping them win 3–1. In the next game, he scored again and set up another goal for his teammate Kylian Mbappé.

International Career

Asensio during a 2017 European Under-21 Championship match against Portugal

Marco Asensio has both Dutch and Spanish family roots. He chose to play for Spain, even though he was invited to play for the Netherlands. He played for Spain's youth teams for many years. He made his debut for the under-21 team on March 26, 2015, in a friendly game against Norway. In July of that year, he was part of the under-19 team that won the UEFA European Championship in Greece. He scored both goals in the semi-final win against France.

On May 17, 2016, Marco was called up to play for the senior national team for a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He made his debut on May 29, starting in Spain's 3–1 victory.

He was chosen for the 2017 European Under-21 Championship. In his first game in the competition, he scored a hat-trick, helping Spain win 5–0 against Macedonia. His team reached the final of the tournament but lost 1–0 to Germany.

Asensio playing for Spain in 2018 FIFA World Cup against Russia

Back with the senior team, Marco was included in Spain's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game on June 20, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against Iran.

Marco scored his first goal for Spain on September 11, 2018, in a big 6–0 win against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League. He also helped create an own goal for the opponent in that game.

In July 2021, he was chosen as an "overage player" (meaning he was older than the usual age limit but allowed to play) for the under-23 team at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

In November 2022, Marco was part of Spain's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He started in Spain's first game against Costa Rica and scored the second goal in a huge 7–0 victory for Spain.

Personal Life

Asensio's wife Sandra Garal in 2024

Marco's father, Gilberto, was also a footballer. Marco's older brother, Igor, played as a defender for a club called Platges de Calvià.

Marco's goal celebration in the 2017 Champions League final was special for his family. He said, "I told them that if I scored then I'd run to where they were. I knew where they were and that is what I did."

Marco Asensio married his long-time girlfriend, Sandra Garal, on July 10, 2023.