Thiago Alcântara facts for kids
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Thiago playing for Spain in 2019
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 April 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | San Pietro Vernotico, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Flamengo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | Ureca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Kelme | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Flamengo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Barcelona B | 54 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Barcelona | 68 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2020 | Bayern Munich | 150 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2024 | Liverpool | 68 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 340 | (28) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Spain U16 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Spain U17 | 8 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Spain U18 | 1 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Spain U19 | 11 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Spain U21 | 21 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2021 | Spain | 46 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Barcelona (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento (born April 11, 1991), known simply as Thiago, is a former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, a player who helps both attack and defense.
Thiago was born in Italy to Brazilian parents and grew up in Spain. His father, Mazinho, was also a famous footballer. Thiago joined Barcelona when he was 14 years old. He made his first team debut in 2009.
With Barcelona, he won many important titles. These included four La Liga titles (Spain's top league), the UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup. In 2013, he moved to Bayern Munich in Germany.
At Bayern, Thiago won 16 trophies. This included the Bundesliga (Germany's top league) seven times in a row. He also won the UEFA Champions League again in his last year there. This helped Bayern achieve a "treble," winning three major titles in one season.
In 2020, Thiago joined Liverpool in England. He faced some injuries during his time there. However, he still helped Liverpool win the FA Cup in 2022. Thiago was also chosen for the FIFPRO Men's World 11 team in 2020, which features the best players in the world.
Thiago played for Spain's national teams at different age levels. He helped Spain win the European Championships for under-19 and under-21 teams. He made his debut for the senior Spanish national team in 2011. He played for Spain in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 World Cup, and Euro 2020. Thiago announced his retirement from professional football in July 2024.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Early Football Journey
Thiago was born in San Pietro Vernotico, Italy. His father, Mazinho, was playing football for a team nearby. Thiago started playing football in Brazil at a young age with Flamengo.
When he was five, he moved to Spain with his father. He played for a team called Ureca. In 2001, he played for Kelme CF. He returned to Flamengo at age 10. Then, in 2005, he moved back to Spain and joined FC Barcelona.
Time at Barcelona
Thiago made his first team debut for Barcelona on May 17, 2009. He was 18 years old. Barcelona had already won the league that season.
On February 20, 2010, Thiago scored his first goal for Barcelona. It was in a 4–0 home win against Racing de Santander. He finished the 2010–11 season with 17 games played. He was also a substitute when Barcelona won the 2011 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United.
In the 2011–12 season, Thiago helped Barcelona win the 2011 UEFA Super Cup. He also scored in Barcelona's first league match of the season. In December, he started when Barcelona won the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final.
Success with Bayern Munich
Joining Bayern and First Season
On July 14, 2013, Thiago joined Bayern Munich in Germany. Bayern paid €25 million for him. The coach, Pep Guardiola, really wanted Thiago to join the team.
Thiago played his first game for Bayern on July 27, 2013. He scored his first goal for Bayern in December 2013. This goal helped Bayern win the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup final. In January 2014, he scored his first Bundesliga goal. It was a fantastic scissor-kick goal.
He also set a Bundesliga record with 185 touches of the ball in one game. His first season ended early due to a knee injury. However, Bayern still won the league and cup.
After being injured for over a year, Thiago returned to play on April 4, 2015. He scored the winning goal in a penalty shootout in a cup match. He also scored in the Champions League quarter-final against FC Porto. Bayern went on to win the league again. He scored two goals in 13 games that season.
Winning More Trophies
In August 2015, Thiago signed a new contract with Bayern. He scored a goal in a cup quarter-final in February 2016. He also scored twice in a big win over Werder Bremen. In March, Thiago scored a key goal in a comeback win against Juventus in the Champions League. He finished the season with four goals and seven assists.
Thiago started the 2016–17 season by winning the 2016 DFL-Supercup. He scored his first goal of the season in September. He had a great game against RB Leipzig in December, scoring and assisting. In February 2017, he scored two goals and assisted another against Arsenal in the Champions League. He signed a new contract until 2021. He scored nine goals and had nine assists that season.
Consistent Wins and European Treble
Thiago missed the start of the 2017–18 season due to injury. He scored an equalizing goal in a cup match against RB Leipzig in October. He suffered another serious muscle injury in November. He returned to play in February 2018. In April, he scored a header that helped Bayern win against Sevilla FC in the Champions League. He scored seven goals in 31 games that season.
In August 2018, Thiago played and scored in Bayern's 5–0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. This helped Bayern win the 2018 DFL-Supercup. In May 2019, Thiago won his sixth straight Bundesliga title with Bayern. A week later, he won his third DFB-Pokal (German Cup).
In 2020, Thiago played for Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final against his old team, Barcelona. Bayern won that game 8–2. Thiago started in the 2020 UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern won their sixth Champions League title. This completed a "treble" for Bayern, as they also won the Bundesliga and the German Cup that season.
Time at Liverpool and Retirement
2020–2021 Season
On September 18, 2020, Premier League club Liverpool signed Thiago. He signed a four-year contract. Liverpool paid £20 million for him.
Thiago made his debut for Liverpool on September 20. He came on as a substitute against Chelsea. He completed 75 passes in just 45 minutes, setting a new Premier League record for a substitute. A few days later, Liverpool confirmed Thiago had tested positive for COVID-19.
On October 17, 2020, Thiago played his second game for Liverpool. He got a knee injury towards the end of the game. He did not play again for several months. He returned in December. On May 8, 2021, Thiago scored his first goal for Liverpool. It was in a 2–0 win over Southampton.
In November 2021, Thiago scored a fantastic goal from 25 yards out. It was in a Champions League group stage game against FC Porto.
2022–2024 Seasons
On February 27, 2022, Thiago was supposed to start the 2022 EFL Cup final. But he got injured during the warm-up. Liverpool went on to win the cup on penalties. On May 14, 2022, Thiago started for Liverpool in the 2022 FA Cup final. Liverpool won on penalties again. Thiago scored his penalty kick. This was his second trophy with Liverpool.
Thiago was named Liverpool's player of the month for April 2022. Liverpool almost won four trophies that season. They finished second in the Premier League and Champions League. But they won both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. Thiago's great performances earned him a spot in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year.
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On July 30, 2022, Thiago was part of the squad that won the 2022 FA Community Shield. He played 28 games in the 2022–23 season. However, in May 2023, he had hip surgery and missed the rest of the season. Liverpool just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League that season.
He returned to the squad on February 4, 2024, as a substitute. But he suffered another muscle injury in that match. On May 17, 2024, it was confirmed that he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
On July 7, 2024, news came out that Thiago would retire from professional football. The next day, Thiago officially announced his retirement on social media.
International Career
Thiago has both Brazilian and Spanish citizenship. He chose to play for Spain.
Youth Teams
He played in the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship for Spain. His country won the tournament, and he scored in the final. Thiago was a key player when Spain won the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He scored a great 40-yard free kick in the final against Switzerland. He was named the best player of the final.
On June 18, 2013, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) in the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final. Spain beat Italy 4–2 to win their fourth title.
Senior National Team
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Thiago played his first game for Spain's senior team on August 10, 2011. It was a friendly match against Italy. His first competitive game was in September 2011. Spain won 6–0 against Liechtenstein.
He missed Euro 2012 and the 2012 Summer Olympics because of an injury.
Thiago was named in Spain's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, he had to leave the squad due to a knee injury he got in March.
On October 2, 2015, Thiago was called back to the national team. This was his first time back since his injury. On October 6, 2017, he scored his first goal for Spain. It was in a World Cup qualifier against Albania.
In May 2018, he was chosen for Spain's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Thiago played in two matches during the tournament. In May 2021, Thiago was part of the team for UEFA Euro 2020. He was not included in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Coaching Career
After retiring in July 2024, Thiago briefly joined the coaching staff at Barcelona. He worked as an assistant coach under Hansi Flick, who was his former coach at Bayern. In August 2024, Thiago left his role at Barcelona.
Playing Style
Thiago was known as a very creative and skilled player. He had excellent dribbling skills and great control of the ball. This allowed him to play well in the middle of the field. He could play deeper to start attacks or further forward as an attacking midfielder.
Xavi, another famous midfielder, called Thiago "an extraordinary player." Thiago was known for his accurate passing. He had great passing technique and vision. In the 2016–17 Bundesliga season, he had a 90.2% pass success rate. This was higher than any other player in Germany. Despite being a world-class midfielder, Thiago often had problems with injuries during his career.
Personal Life
Thiago is the son of Mazinho, a Brazilian former footballer. His father won the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Thiago's mother, Valéria Alcântara, was a former Brazilian volleyball player.
His younger brother, Rafinha, also plays football. He plays for Al-Arabi SC and the Brazil national team. Rodrigo, who also played for Spain, is a close friend of Thiago.
On June 27, 2015, Thiago married his girlfriend, Júlia Vigas, in Spain.
He has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both Brazil and Spain.
Thiago is multilingual. He can speak five languages fluently: Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, and English.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona B | 2007–08 | Tercera División | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2008–09 | Segunda División B | 25 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 0 | |||||
| 2009–10 | Segunda División B | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 18 | 3 | ||||
| 2010–11 | Segunda División | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 54 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 59 | 3 | ||
| Barcelona | 2008–09 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 27 | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 27 | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | ||
| Total | 68 | 7 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 101 | 11 | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 3 | |
| 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 27 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 4 | ||
| 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 27 | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 9 | ||
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 19 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 7 | ||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 30 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 3 | ||
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 3 | ||
| Total | 150 | 17 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 235 | 31 | ||
| Liverpool | 2020–21 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | — | 39 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 68 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 98 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 341 | 28 | 56 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 488 | 48 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 46 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Thiago goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 October 2017 | Estadio José Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain |  Albania |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 27 March 2018 | Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain |  Argentina |
4–1 | 6–1 | Friendly |
Honours and Awards
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13
- Copa del Rey: 2011–12
- Supercopa de España: 2010, 2011
- UEFA Champions League: 2010–11
- UEFA Super Cup: 2011
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2011
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- DFB-Pokal: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20
- DFL-Supercup: 2016, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2019–20
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2013
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2021–22
- EFL Cup: 2021-22
- FA Community Shield: 2022
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2021–22
Spain U17
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2008
Spain U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011, 2013
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2013
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Silver Boot: 2013
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2013
- Goal of the Month in Germany: January 2014
- Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2016–17
- ESM Team of the Season: 2016–17
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2018–19
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2019–20
- IFFHS Men's World Team: 2020
- FIFA FIFPro World11: 2020
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2020
- PFA Team of the Year: 2021–22 Premier League
Images for kids
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Thiago with Bayern in 2019
See also
In Spanish: Thiago Alcántara para niños
