He has spent most of his career with Real Madrid after making his debut with the first team in 2011, making over 300 appearances and winning several trophies, including a joint record sixChampions Leagues, a record shared withPaco Gento,Luka Modrić,Toni Kroos andDani Carvajal. Nacho has won a total of 26 trophies at Real Madrid, making him the second-most decorated player in the club's history.Nacho won his first seniorcap forSpain in 2013, and was part of the squad at the2018 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2024, winning the latter tournament.
Born in Madrid, Nacho arrived inReal Madrid's youth system at the age of 11. He made his senior debut in2008–09, playing two games withthe reserves inSegunda División B and subsequently appearing in a further two full seasons in that level; it was during this time he formed a long-lasting friendship with futureRussian national team playerDenis Cheryshev.[4]
On 23 April 2011, Nacho made his first-team – andLa Liga – debut, starting as aleft back in a 6–3 away win againstValencia and playing in the entire match.[5] His second appearance came the following week, in a 2–3 home loss toReal Zaragoza.[6]
On 2 September 2012, main squad managerJosé Mourinho announced that Nacho, along withÁlvaro Morata andJesús, would be promoted to the first team but continue to play with Castilla.[7] He became an official full-time member at the start of2013–14, receiving the number 18 shirt after the departure ofRaúl Albiol.
On 3 July 2014, Nacho signed a new contract with Real Madrid until 2021.[8][9] He scored his first official goal for them on 10 January of the following year, closing the score in a 3–0 home victory againstEspanyol.[10]
On 11 February 2017, Nacho made his 100th appearance for Real Madrid in a 3–1 away win againstOsasuna.[13] Benefitting from injuries and suspensions to teammates, he was the most utilized player in the centre-back position as the clubwon its first national championship in five years;[14][15][16][17] he added four matches inthe Champions League, again conquered by his team.[18]
2018–2024: Rise to leadership, contract extensions, most trophies and departure
Nacho scored his first career brace on 21 January 2018, in a 7–1 win overDeportivo La Coruña.[19] Duringthat year's Champions League he made eight appearances while scoring one goal,[20] when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall title in the tournament; inthe decisive match againstLiverpool, he featured at right-back after replacing the injuredDani Carvajal late into the first half of an eventual 3–1 win in Kyiv.[21]
The 2019–20 season for Nacho was dominated by injuries, and he only made six appearances during the league season as Real Madrid won the2019–20 La Liga.[22] In July 2021, he extended his contract for two more years, until 2023.[23]
With departure ofMarcelo, Nacho was promoted as Real Madrid'svice-captain for the 2022–23 season. On 22 June 2023, Nacho signed a new contract with Real Madrid, extending his spell until June 2024 and becoming captain following the departure ofKarim Benzema.[24][25]
On 30 September 2023, Nacho was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for a tackle onGirona playerPortu.[26] Nacho apologized for his actions after the match.[27] On 21 December 2023, he saw another straight red card for a tackle, this time againstAlavés playerSamu.[28] With these dismissals, Nacho became the first player to be sent off twice in one season for Real Madrid sinceSergio Ramos in 2017–18.[29] On 4 May 2024, he clinched his fourthLa Liga title with Real Madrid following a 3–0 victory overCádiz, thus matching Marcelo, Karim Benzema andLuka Modrić's record as the club's most decorated player with 25 trophies.[30] A month later, on 1 June, he captained his team in a 2–0 win overBorussia Dortmund in theChampions League final, as they clinched their 15th title in the competition making him one of the 5 players to have lifted the European most prestigious trophy a record of 6 times.[31] In addition, he extended his record to 26 titles with the club, same as for Modrić.[32]
On 25 June 2024, Nacho announced that he left Real Madrid after 13 years in the club.[33]
On 2 September 2013, Nacho was called up to theSpain senior team for the first time, replacing the injuredIñigo Martínez in the squad for a friendly match againstSwitzerland.[37] He made his debut by replacing Real Madrid teammateSergio Ramos early into the second half of the 2–2 draw againstChile inGeneva.[38]
Nacho was named in Spain's finalsquad for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[39] He started the team's openingGroup B game againstPortugal at right-back on 15 June, scoring his first international goal with acurled shot from 30 meters in a 3–3 draw.[40] After being an unused substitute in the team's second and third group fixtures, he started Spain'sround of 16 match against hostsRussia on 1 July.[41] He played 70 minutes before being substituted for club teammateDani Carvajal in Spain's eventual 4–3penalty shootout loss.[42]
In March 2023, Nacho was recalled to the Spain squad for the first time since 2018 forUEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers againstNorway andScotland.[43] He was named in the starting line-up for the match against Norway, playing the full 90 minutes as Spain won 3–0 in Malaga.[44]
He was named in Spain's squad for the2023 UEFA Nations League Finals and appeared as a 78th-minute substitute as the team beatCroatia via a penalty shootout inthe final as Spain won their first major title in 11 years.[45]
In June 2024, Nacho was named in Spain's squad for theUEFA Euro 2024 finals in Germany.[46] He started the team's first group match, playing the full match in central defence as Spain beat Croatia 3–0 at Berlin'sOlympiastadion.[47] He eventually featured in Spain's victory againstEngland in thefinal, becoming one of 12 players who won both youth and senior Euro titles, alongside his teammatesMikel Merino,Ferran Torres,Álvaro Morata andRodri.[48]
A player known for his versatility in every defensive position on the pitch, bothJulen Lopetegui andZinedine Zidane used Nacho as acentre-,right- andleft-back. He is seen as a reliable full-back option due to his skills on the ball and penchant for making forward runs down his flank; a fast and agile defender who is known for his work rate, endurance and strength in the air despite not being particularly tall for his position.[49][50] Apart from his defensive skills, Nacho is also a precise passer of the ball in both short and long distances, with a 89.8% pass completion and accuracy in2017–18. During the same season, he scored goals fromset pieces.[51][52]
Nacho's younger brother,Álex, is also a footballer. Amidfielder, he too graduated from Real Madrid's academy, and both made their first-team debut in the same game;[53] Álex moved on, settling atCádiz, and they played against one another in 2020 and 2023.[54] Their physical appearance is quite dissimilar, owing to Álex'sred hair.[55]
In November 2016, Nacho revealed that he has lived withtype 1 diabetes since he was 12 years old.[56][57] Throughout his first five years in the first team, Nacho managed to avoid major injuries, attributing his success to his eating habits and preparation.[58]
Nacho has four children with his wife María Cortés, two daughters and two sons.[59]
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