# Alejandro Balde

Alejandro Balde Martínez (born 18 October 2003) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. He is considered to be one of the best young full-backs in the world due to his pace, ball-carrying and defensive contribution.

## Club career

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, to a Bissau-Guinean father and a Dominican mother, Balde joined Barcelona in 2011 at the age of eight after coming up through ranks at Espanyol. In July 2021, he signed a contract renewal with Barcelona until 2024 with a release clause of 500 million euros.
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. He sat on the bench for the opening match against Real Sociedad and the next game against Athletic Bilbao. 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.
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. 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.
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. On 24 January 2024, he suffered a hamstring injury in his right foot, and had to undergo surgery after leaving the pitch in tears against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, which Barcelona lost 4–2, and Balde ended up missing the rest of the season.
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 Bissau-Guinean descent 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. 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, despite occasional critiques regarding his defensive positioning in high-pressure situations and final-ball.
Balde's speed and agility allow him to recover effectively in defensive phases, while his composure on the ball has made him a reliable outlet for build-up play. His speed is also a great asset for him when he carries the ball through opposition-lines.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 16 March 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Copa del Rey | Copa del Rey | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Barcelona Atlètic | 2020–21 | Segunda División B | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Barcelona Atlètic | 2021–22 | Primera División RFEF | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Barcelona Atlètic | Total | Total | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Barcelona | 2021–22 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Barcelona | 2022–23 | La Liga | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| Barcelona | 2023–24 | La Liga | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Barcelona | 2024–25 | La Liga | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 37 | 1 |
| Barcelona | Total | Total | 80 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 116 | 3 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 109 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 146 | 3 |
* ↑ Appearance in Segunda División B play-offs
* 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
* ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
* 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España

### International

    As of match played 12 October 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Spain | 2022 | 4 | 0 |
| Spain | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 7 | 0 |

## Honours

Barcelona
* La Liga: 2022–23
* Supercopa de España: 2023, 2025
Individual
* La Liga Team of the Season: 2022–23
* IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2023
* IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) UEFA Team: 2023