Marcos Llorente facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marcos Llorente

Llorente with Atlético Madrid in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth	(1995-01-30) 30 January 1995 (age 30)
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.84 m
Playing position	Midfielder, right-back
Club information
Current club	Atlético Madrid
Number	14
Youth career
2002–2006	Las Rozas
2006–2007	Nueva Roceña
2007–2008	Rayo Majadahonda
2008–2014	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2014–2016	Real Madrid B	58	(3)
2015–2019	Real Madrid	22	(0)
2016–2017	→ Alavés (loan)	32	(0)
2019–	Atlético Madrid	169	(24)
National team‡
2014	Spain U19	4	(0)
2016–2017	Spain U21	9	(0)
2020–	Spain	19	(0)
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Under-21 Championship Runner-up 2017 Poland Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:13, 18 January 2025 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 02:17, 6 June 2024 (UTC)

Marcos Llorente Moreno (born 30 January 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or right-back for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Spain national team.

Developed at Real Madrid, he appeared in 39 competitive matches over three seasons, also serving a loan at Alavés. He signed with Atlético Madrid in June 2019, winning the 2020–21 La Liga while being deployed in several positions.

Llorente made his full debut for Spain in 2020, and was part of the squads at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Real Madrid

Llorente playing for Real Madrid in 2015

Born in Madrid, Llorente joined Real Madrid's youth setup in 2008, aged 13. In July 2014, after impressing with the Juvenil squad, he was promoted straight to the reserves by manager Zinedine Zidane.

On 24 August 2014, Llorente made his senior debut, starting in a 2–1 away loss against Atlético Madrid B in the Segunda División B. He appeared in 25 matches during the campaign, totalling 1,637 minutes of action.

Llorente spent the 2015 pre-season with the first team, appearing in friendlies against Manchester City, Inter Milan and Vålerenga. He made his professional – and La Liga – debut on 17 October of that year, coming on as a second-half substitute for Mateo Kovačić in the 3–0 home win over Levante.

On 10 August 2016, Llorente was loaned to Alavés for the season. On 10 September, he featured the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 victory at Barcelona.

On 23 September 2017, Llorente's contract was extended until 2021. He made one appearance in that campaign's UEFA Champions League, when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall title in the tournament.

Llorente scored his first competitive goal for the team on 22 December 2018, netting the second in the 4–1 defeat of Al Ain in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup and being named player of the match in the process.

Atlético Madrid

On 20 June 2019, Llorente was signed by local rivals Atlético Madrid on a five-year contract for a reported fee of £35 million. He made his official debut on 18 August, playing 25 minutes in the 1–0 home win against Getafe. His first goal came the following 14 February, when he put his team ahead in a 2–2 draw at Valencia.

On 11 March 2020, during extra time of the Champions League round-of-16 tie away to defending champions Liverpool, Llorente scored twice to tie the match 2–2 after replacing Diego Costa early into the second half, in an eventual 3–2 victory and qualification. On 17 June, he was named man of the match in the league game at Osasuna after coming from the bench in the 63rd minute, scoring a solo goal and later assisting twice in the 5–0 rout.

Llorente scored a career-best 12 times in 2020–21 (second-best in the squad behind Luis Suárez's 21), adding 11 assists as the Colchoneros were crowned champions after a seven-year wait; in the process, he became the club's first player to register double digits in both categories since Diego Forlán in 2008–09.

International career

Llorente earned his first cap for the Spain under-21 side on 10 October 2016, featuring the entire 5–0 home defeat of Estonia in the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers, in Pontevedra. He was called up to the senior squad in November 2020, for a friendly with the Netherlands and UEFA Nations League qualifiers against Switzerland and Germany. He made his first appearance against the first opponent, replacing Sergio Canales for the last 18 minutes of the 1–1 draw in Amsterdam.

On 24 May 2021, Llorente was included in Spain's 24-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He was deployed as right-back during the tournament.

Llorente was also picked for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He only took part in one match in Qatar, the 3–0 penalty shootout loss against Morocco in the last 16.

Llorente was part of a 29-man preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2024. However, he did not make the final cut.

Style of play

Originally a defensive midfielder or a playmaker in front of a back four, Llorente is also capable of playing in more advanced positions such as a central or box-to-box midfielder. At Atlético Madrid, under coach Diego Simeone, he was also fielded out of his regular position, first on the right side of the midfield in a 4–4–2 formation and later as a supporting forward in the same system.

At the conclusion of 2019–20, Llorente was the sixth fastest player in the competition, with his top running speed clocked at 35.09 km/h. Apart from his physical attributes, such as pace, height, body fitness and stamina, his strengths also included excellent ball winning skills, visionary passing over both short and long distances, dribbling, first touch and shooting from just outside the penalty area, which led him to score several goals. The following season, as Atlético went through a tactical switch, he was usually deployed as either a box-to-box or an attacking midfielder in a 5–3–2 or 3–4–2–1 formations. On occasion, he also filled in as a right wingback for his club, or a right back in a four-man defence for the national team.

For his training attitude and patience, Llorente was praised by Simeone and Jorge Valdano.

Personal life

A boyhood supporter of Real Madrid, Llorente has ties in his family to both football and the club. His father Francisco and great uncle Francisco Gento were wingers, while his maternal grandfather Ramón Grosso was a forward.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Real Madrid

• UEFA Champions League: 2017–18
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2017, 2018

Atlético Madrid

• La Liga: 2020–21

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2017

See also

In Spanish: Marcos Llorente para niños