Alejandro Balde
{{short description|Spanish footballer (born 2003)}}
{{family name hatnote|Balde|Martínez|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alejandro Balde
| image = Esapana-inglaterra-74 (48899354493).jpg
| caption = Balde playing for Spain U17 in 2019
| full_name = Alejandro Balde Martínez{{cite web |url=https://players.fcbarcelona.com/en/player/2829-balde-alejandro-balde-martinez |title=Alejandro Balde Martínez |publisher=FC Barcelona |access-date=14 August 2021}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|10|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Barcelona, Spain
| position = Left-back
| currentclub = Barcelona
| clubnumber = 3
| youthyears1 = 2007–2009
| youthclubs1 = Sant Gabriel
| youthyears2 = 2009–2011
| youthclubs2 = Espanyol
| youthyears3 = 2011–2021
| youthclubs3 = Barcelona
| years1 = 2020–2022
| clubs1 = Barcelona B
| caps1 = 29
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2021–
| clubs2 = Barcelona
| caps2 = 88
| goals2 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2019
| nationalteam1 = Spain U16
| nationalcaps1 = 6
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2019–2020
| nationalteam2 = Spain U17
| nationalcaps2 = 9
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019
| nationalteam3 = Spain U18
| nationalcaps3 = 3
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2021
| nationalteam4 = Spain U19
| nationalcaps4 = 5
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 2022
| nationalteam5 = Spain U21
| nationalcaps5 = 2
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| nationalyears6 = 2022–
| nationalteam6 = Spain
| nationalcaps6 = 7
| nationalgoals6 = 0
| club-update = 21:57, 25 May 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 12 October 2023
}}
Alejandro Balde Martínez (born 18 October 2003) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for {{Spanish football updater|Barcelona}} club Barcelona and the Spain national team.
Club career
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, to a Bissau-Guinean father and a Dominican mother,{{Cite web |url=https://www.sport.es/en/news/barca/alejandro-balde-a-great-opportunity-for-the-la-masia-left-back-11895698 |title=Alejandro Balde: A great opportunity for the la Masia left back |website=sport.es |date=13 July 2021}} Balde joined Barcelona in 2011 at the age of eight after coming up through ranks at Espanyol.{{cite web |last1=Rogé |first1=Albert |title=Profile: Electric Alejandro Balde has a lot to offer |url=https://www.sport.es/en/news/barca/profile-electric-alejandro-balde-has-a-lot-to-offer-8201674 |website=sport |date=12 November 2020}} In July 2021, he signed a contract renewal with Barcelona until 2024 with a release clause of 500 million euros.{{cite web |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/alejandro-balde-barcelona-teenage-left-back-500m-release/1ij5oor255tup1i0ls6yty4h47|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813123056/https://www.goal.com/en/news/alejandro-balde-barcelona-teenage-left-back-500m-release/1ij5oor255tup1i0ls6yty4h47 |archive-date=13 August 2021 |title=Alejandro Balde: Barcelona's 'spectacular' teenage left-back with a €500m release clause |first1=Adrià |last1=Soldevila |date=11 August 2021 |website=Goal|url-status=dead}}
Balde impressed during pre-season in the summer 2021, and began the new campaign as Jordi Alba's primary back-up at the Camp Nou.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sport.es/en/news/barca/barca-tie-down-alejandro-balde-their-jordi-alba-backup-11933006 |title=Barca tie down Alejandro Balde, their Jordi Alba backup |website=sport.es |date=22 July 2021}} He sat on the bench for the opening match against Real Sociedad{{cite web |url=https://www.fotmob.com/livescores/3629093/lineup/barcelona-vs-real-sociedad?show=ongoing |title=Barcelona vs Real Sociedad lineup in LaLiga |website=FotMob}} and the next game against Athletic Bilbao.{{Cite web |url=https://www.fotmob.com/livescores/3629105/lineup/athletic-club-vs-barcelona |title=Athletic Club vs Barcelona lineup in LaLiga |website=FotMob}} On 14 September 2021, he played his first official match for Barcelona's first team replacing Alba in the 74th minute of a 3–0 loss to Bayern Munich in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.{{cite web |url=https://www.fotmob.com/livescores/3714046/matchfacts/barcelona-vs-bayern-münchen |title=Champions League vs Barcelona |website=FotMob}}
From the start of the 2022–23 season, Balde was given a more prominent role by coach Xavi, starting in more league matches than Jordi Alba and receiving more minutes in important matches.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sport.es/en/news/barca/xavi-on-balde-an-18-year-old-playing-at-this-level-never-ceases-to-amaze-75566303 |title=Xavi on Balde: An 18-year-old playing at this level never ceases to amaze|website=sport.es |date=17 September 2022}} On 14 May 2023, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4–2 away win over Espanyol, where his team secured the league title.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2023/may/14/espanyol-v-barcelona-la-liga-live?page=with%3Ablock-6461303e8f08c4e696f29461 |title=Espanyol 2-4 Barcelona: Barça win La Liga – as it happened |publisher=The Guardian |date=14 May 2023 }}
On 20 September 2023, it was announced that Balde would sign a new contract at the club until 2028, with the buyout clause set at €1 billion.{{cite web |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/futbol/primer-equipo/noticias/3691879/balde-cule-hasta-2028 |title=Balde, culé hasta 2028 |publisher=FC Barcelona |language=es |date=20 September 2023 }} On 24 January 2024, he suffered a hamstring injury in his right leg, having to undergo surgery after leaving the pitch in tears against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, which Barcelona lost 4–2, and ending up missing the rest of the season.{{cite web |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/3871012/alejandro-balde-undergoes-successful-surgery-on-the-tendon-in-his-right-hamstring |title=Alejandro Balde undergoes successful surgery on the tendon in his right hamstring |publisher=FC Barcelona |date=30 January 2024 }}
On 12 January 2025, Balde scored his first El Clásico goal in the 2025 Supercopa de España final, scoring Barcelona's fourth goal in an eventual 5–2 victory.
International career
Balde is a Dominican and Bissau-Guinean descent through his mother and father respectively and was eligible to play for Guinea-Bissau or Spain, but pledged allegiance to La Roja. He received a surprise call-up to the Spain national team two days before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as Valencia left-back José Gayà had injured his ankle in the training camp.{{cite news |last1=Marsden |first1=Sam |last2=Llorens |first2=Moises |title=World Cup 2022: Barcelona youngster Alejandro Balde replaces injured Jose Gaya in Spain squad |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/fifa-world-cup/story/4805677/alejandro-balde-replaces-jose-gaya-in-spain-world-cup-squad |access-date=18 November 2022 |publisher=ESPN |date=18 November 2022}} On 23 November 2022, he made his first international appearance in a 7–0 win against Costa Rica, substituting for Jordi Alba in the 64th minute.
Style of play
Known for his explosive pace, dribbling, and attacking contributions, Alejandro Balde is regarded as one of the most promising left-backs in world football. His speed and agility allow him to recover effectively in defensive phases, while his composure on the ball makes him a reliable outlet for build-up play.{{Cite news |title=Alejandro Balde with Spain and Barcelona - scout report |url=https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/alejandro-balde-with-spain-and-barcelona-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230102110517/https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/alejandro-balde-with-spain-and-barcelona-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics |archive-date=2023-01-02 |access-date=2025-01-22 |work=Total Football Analysis Magazine |language=en-GB}} His speed is also a great asset for him when he carries the ball through opposition lines. {{Cite web |last=Kulig |first=Jacek |date=2020-06-07 |title=Alejandro Balde |url=https://footballtalentscout.net/home/alejandro-balde/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Football Talent Scout |language=en-US}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 25 May 2025}}{{Soccerway|alejandro-balde-martinez/632541}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Copa del Rey !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="3"|Barcelona Atlètic
|15 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in Segunda División B play-offs}} | 0 | 16 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22
|14 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| rowspan="5"|Barcelona
|5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2022–23
|La Liga |33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6{{efn|Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | 1{{efn|name=SDE|Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España}} | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
| 2023–24
|La Liga |18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6{{efn|name=UCL}} | 0 | 2{{efn|name=SDE}} | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| 2024–25
|La Liga |32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10{{efn|name=UCL}} | 0 | 2{{efn|name=SDE}} | 1 | 47 | 1 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!88||1||9||1||24||0||5||1||126||3 | ||||||||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!117 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 156 | 3 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 12 October 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=32229|title=Alejandro Balde|website=EU-Football.info|access-date=27 November 2022}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2"|Spain
|2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total | 7 | 0 |
Honours
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2022–23,{{cite news |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/3344756/fc-barcelona-liga-champions-202223 |title=FC Barcelona, Liga champions 2022/23! |website=FC Barcelona |date=14 May 2023}} 2024–25{{Cite web |date=2025-05-15 |title=Barcelona Win La Liga, Complete 2024-25 Domestic Treble |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/barcelona-win-la-liga-complete-2024-25-domestic-treble |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=SI |language=en-US}}
- Copa del Rey: 2024–25{{Cite news |last=Lowe |first=Sid |date=2025-04-26 |title=Barcelona win thrilling Copa del Rey and drive Madrid to red card fury |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/27/barcelona-real-madrid-copa-del-rey-match-report |access-date=2025-05-16 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
- Supercopa de España: 2023,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/64284870 |title=Spanish Super Cup: Barcelona beat Real Madrid. |website=BBC Sport |date=15 January 2023 |access-date=15 January 2023 |archive-date=25 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125094004/https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/64284870 |url-status=dead }} 2025{{Cite web |date=2025-01-13 |title=FC Barcelona win the Super Cup in a final for the history books (2-5) |url=https://rfef.es/en/noticias/match-report-fc-barcelona-win-the-super-cup-in-a-final-for-the-history-books-2-5 |access-date=2025-01-13 |website= |publisher=Real Federación Española de Fútbol |language=en}}
Individual
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2022–23{{cite news|url=https://www.laliga.com/noticias/los-premios-team-of-the-season-de-ea-sportstm-y-laliga-revelan-a-los-mejores-15-jugadores-de-la-temporada |title=Los Premios 'Team Of The Season' de EA SPORTSTM y LaLiga revelan a los mejores 15 jugadores de la temporada |trans-title=The EA SPORTSTM and LaLiga 'Team Of The Season' Awards reveal the best 15 players of the season |date=19 May 2023|access-date=21 May 2023|publisher=La Liga}}
- IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2023{{cite web|date=5 January 2024|title=IFFHS MEN'S YOUTH (U20) WORLD TEAM 2023|url=https://iffhs.com/posts/3301|access-date=5 January 2024|website=IFFHS}}
- IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) UEFA Team: 2023{{cite web|title=IFFHS MEN'S YOUTH (U20) UEFA TEAM 2023 |url=https://iffhs.com/posts/3387|date=5 February 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/players/68906/alejandro-balde Profile] at the FC Barcelona website
- [https://rfef.es/es/selecciones/jugadores/alejandro-balde Profile] at the Royal Spanish Football Federation website {{in lang|es}}
- {{UEFA player}}
{{FC Barcelona squad}}
{{Spain squad 2022 FIFA World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balde, Alejandro}}
Category:Footballers from Barcelona
Category:Spanish men's footballers
Category:Spain men's youth international footballers
Category:Spain men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Spain men's international footballers
Category:Spanish people of Bissau-Guinean descent
Category:Spanish people of Dominican Republic descent
Category:Sportspeople of Dominican Republic descent
Category:Men's association football fullbacks
Category:Primera Federación players
Category:Segunda División B players
Category:FC Barcelona Atlètic players
Category:2022 FIFA World Cup players