At Tenerife, Mista – along with Curro Torres and Luis García – was a key member of the team that won promotion to La Liga in 2001. He subsequently signed for Valencia, and was a prominent member of the successful sides that won two league titles and the 2004 UEFA Cup, where he scored the second goal in the 2–0 win against Olympique de Marseille. On 21 March 2004 he netted a hat-trick for the eventual champions in a 5–1 home victory over RCD Mallorca, but his goal rate decreased drastically after the 2004–05 campaign.