Alejandro Balde Martínez

Alejandro Balde is a Spanish left-back who was born in Barcelona on 18 October 2003. He began playing with Sant Martí Condal, later developed at CE Sant Gabriel and Espanyol, and joined Barcelona’s La Masia in 2011. Initially a forward, Balde moved into defence and progressed through the club’s youth teams before making his first-team debut against Bayern Munich in September 2021. During the 2022–23 season, he established himself as Barcelona’s senior left-back and supplied an assist against Real Sociedad. Balde scored his first senior club goal against Espanyol in May 2023, helping Barcelona secure the LaLiga title. He represented Spain at the 2022 World Cup after receiving a late call-up and made his international debut against Costa Rica. A left-footed defender, Balde combines acceleration with ball carrying, wide positioning and recovery defending, while remaining a product of Barcelona’s academy.