Álvaro González (footballer, born 1990) Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is González and the second or maternal family name is Soberón.

Quick facts for kids
Álvaro
Personal information
Álvaro with Villarreal in 2019
Full name	Álvaro González Soberón
Date of birth	(1990-01-08) 8 January 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Potes, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
2003–2009	Racing Santander
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2011	Racing B	48	(0)
2011–2012	Racing Santander	37	(1)
2012–2014	Zaragoza	72	(2)
2014–2016	Espanyol	74	(1)
2016–2020	Villarreal	89	(2)
2019–2020	→ Marseille (loan)	20	(0)
2020–2022	Marseille	38	(2)
2022–2023	Al Nassr	22	(1)
2023–2024	Al Qadsiah	19	(0)
2025	Johor Darul Ta'zim	0	(0)
International career
2013	Spain U21	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:53, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

Álvaro González Soberón (born on January 8, 1990), known simply as Álvaro, is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a central defender, which means he helps protect his team's goal.

Álvaro started his career with Racing de Santander in Spain. He also played for other Spanish teams like Zaragoza, Espanyol, and Villarreal. Later, he moved to France to play for Marseille. He has also played in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

In 2013, Álvaro was part of the Spain Under-21 team that won the European Under-21 Championship.

Club Career Highlights
International Career
Career Statistics
Honours
See also

Club Career Highlights

Starting in Spain

Álvaro was born in Potes, Cantabria, Spain. He grew up playing football in the youth teams of his local club, Racing de Santander. He made his first professional appearance in the 2009–10 season for Racing's reserve team.

He made his debut for Racing's main team in La Liga, Spain's top football league, on May 1, 2011. He played almost the whole game in a 2–0 win against RCD Mallorca. In May 2011, Álvaro signed a four-year contract with Racing. He became a regular player for the team, even though they were relegated to a lower league at the end of the 2011–12 season.

Playing for Zaragoza

On July 11, 2012, Álvaro joined Real Zaragoza on a four-year deal. He continued to be a key player for Zaragoza. In his first year with the team, Zaragoza also moved down to the Segunda División.

Álvaro scored his first goal for Zaragoza on November 10, 2012. It was in an exciting 5–3 victory over Deportivo de La Coruña.

Time at Espanyol and Villarreal

On July 28, 2014, Álvaro returned to La Liga by signing a five-year contract with RCD Espanyol. He was even chosen as one of the team's captains before the 2016–17 season. However, on August 31, 2016, he moved to Villarreal CF with a four-year agreement.

Álvaro played his first game for Villarreal on September 15, 2016. It was a 2–1 home win against FC Zürich in the UEFA Europa League, a big European competition. His first league game for Villarreal was ten days later in a 3–1 win against CA Osasuna.

Moving to Marseille

Álvaro playing for Marseille at Lens in February 2021

On July 19, 2019, Álvaro joined the French club Olympique de Marseille. He first joined on a loan for the season, and then the move became permanent in 2020. During a Ligue 1 match against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. on September 13, 2020, there was an incident on the field that led to several players receiving red cards.

Álvaro scored his first goal in the French league on February 17, 2021. It was the first goal in a 3–2 home win against OGC Nice. In March 2022, Álvaro was no longer playing regularly for Marseille. He returned to Spain during an international break and later left the club. On August 1, 2022, his contract with Marseille ended.

Later Career in Asia

On August 29, 2022, Álvaro signed a one-year deal with Al Nassr FC in the Saudi Professional League. He scored one goal for Al Nassr on May 8, 2023, in a 1–1 draw against Al-Khaleej FC.

On July 20, 2023, Álvaro moved to Al Qadsiah FC, another club in Saudi Arabia. He helped Al Qadsiah win the Saudi First Division League championship in his only season there, which meant they were promoted to the top league.

In February 2025, Álvaro joined Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. in the Malaysia Super League. He played his first game for them on February 11, 2025. In that match, he scored two goals in a 2–1 victory against Central Coast Mariners FC in the AFC Champions League Elite, which is a major club competition in Asia.

International Career

Álvaro played one game for the Spain Under-21 team. This happened on June 12, 2013, in a 3–0 win against the Netherlands during the group stage of the UEFA European Championship. His team went on to win the entire tournament in Israel.

Career Statistics

Club	Season	League			Cup¹		League Cup²		Continental³		Other⁴		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Racing Santander B	2009–10	Segunda División B	23	0	—								23	0
Racing Santander	2010–11	La Liga	3	0	0	0	—						3	0
	2011–12	La Liga	34	1	1	0	—						35	1
	Total		37	1	1	0	—						38	1
Zaragoza	2012–13	La Liga	33	1	4	0	—						37	1
	2013–14	Segunda División	39	1	1	0	—						40	1
	Total		72	2	5	0	—						77	2
Espanyol	2014–15	La Liga	36	1	6	0	—						42	1
	2015–16	La Liga	36	0	2	0	—						38	0
	2016–17	La Liga	2	0	0	0	—						2	0
	Total		74	1	8	0	—						82	1
Villarreal	2016–17	La Liga	23	1	4	0	—		5	0	—		32	1
	2017–18	La Liga	33	0	2	0	—		3	0	—		38	0
	2018–19	La Liga	33	1	1	0	—		7	0	—		41	1
	Total		89	2	7	0	—		15	0	—		111	2
Marseille (loan)	2019–20	Ligue 1	20	0	4	1	0	0	—		—		24	1
Marseille	2020–21	Ligue 1	32	2	1	0	—		6	0	1	0	40	2
	2021–22	Ligue 1	6	0	2	0	—		3	0	—		11	0
	Total		58	2	7	1	0	0	9	0	1	0	75	3
Career total			353	8	28	1	0	0	24	0	1	0	406	9