 Saúl playing forAtlético Madrid in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Saúl Ñíguez Esclápez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-11-21)21 November 1994 (age 31)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Elche, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Flamengo | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2008 | Real Madrid | ||
| 2008–2010 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Atlético Madrid B | 70 | (8) |
| 2012–2025 | Atlético Madrid | 295 | (30) |
| 2013–2014 | →Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 34 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | →Chelsea (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | →Sevilla (loan) | 24 | (1) |
| 2025– | Flamengo | 16 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Spain U16 | 4 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Spain U17 | 9 | (2) |
| 2012 | Spain U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Spain U19 | 11 | (0) |
| 2013 | Spain U20 | 8 | (0) |
| 2013–2017 | Spain U21 | 25 | (9) |
| 2016–2019 | Spain | 19 | (3) |
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 December 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:50, 18 November 2019 (UTC) | |||
Saúl Ñíguez Esclápez (born 21 November 1994), often known simply asSaúl, is a Spanish professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forCampeonato Brasileiro Série A clubFlamengo. A versatile player, he can also be deployed as abox-to-box midfielder or aleft-back.
After coming throughAtlético Madrid's youth academy, Saúl went on to appear in more than 300 competitive matches for the club. He also spent time on loan at fellow La Liga sideRayo Vallecano during the2013–14 season and atPremier League clubChelsea in2021–22.
Having represented Spain at variousyouth levels, Saúl helped theunder-21 team finish second in the2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, being top scorer in the process. He was selected by the senior team for the2018 FIFA World Cup.
Born inElche,Valencian Community,[4] Saúl moved toReal Madrid at the age of 11 before switching to cross-city rivalsAtlético Madrid in 2008.[5] He made his senior debut in the2010–11 season, appearing for thereserve team in theSegunda División B.[citation needed] His first goal came on 10 April 2011 in a 3–1 away win againstExtremadura,[6] his only of the season in an eventual midtable finish.[citation needed]
In July 2011, Saúl joined the Atlético main squad for pre-season training.[citation needed] On 8 March 2012, at the age of just 17 years and 108 days, he made his debut with the Atléticofirst team, playing the last six minutes of a 3–1 home win againstBeşiktaş in theUEFA Europa League.[7] His second appearance came on 20 September, again as asubstitute and in the Europa League, this time againstHapoel Tel Aviv.[8] Three days later, he scored both goals for Atlético B in a 2–1 awayderby win overReal Madrid C.[9]
Saúl made hisLa Liga debut on 21 April 2013, playing two minutes in a 1–0 win away toSevilla after replacing fellow youth graduateKoke.[10] Again from the bench, he appeared in his second league match with the main squad on 4 May, againstDeportivo La Coruña in a 0–0 draw.[11]
On 21 July 2013, Saúl joinedRayo Vallecano onloan for the2013–14 season.[12] After returning, he featured in both legs of the2014 Supercopa de España in which Atlético defeated Real Madrid, starting in the first match.[13][14]
In aMadrid derby on 7 February 2015, Saúl replaced the injured Koke after ten minutes, and scored his team's second goal shortly after through abicycle kick, in a 4–0 win.[15] From the2015–16 season onwards, after the departure ofMario Suárez and the injury ofTiago Mendes, Saúl became a nuclear midfield element for theDiego Simeone-led team.[16][17]
On 27 April 2016, Saúl played 85 minutes in the first leg ofthe semi-finals of theUEFA Champions League againstFC Bayern Munich, and also scored the only goal at theVicente Calderón Stadium with an individual effort.[18] Starting inthe final against Real Madrid, he played the entire 120 minutes and successfully converted his attempt in thepenalty shoot-out, in a 5–3 loss.[19] The following 18 April, in the same competition but in the quarter-final, he scored through a header to help Atlético to a 1–1 draw away toLeicester City.[20] Also in that month, in an interview given toDiario AS, he admitted to having played for "two seasons" under extremely painful circumstances.[21]
On 1 July 2017, Saúl signed a new nine-year contract with Atlético.[22] He made nine appearances in the2017–18 Europa League, scoring three goals for the eventual champions.[23][24]
Saúl started his 250th match for the club on 18 August 2019, in a win overGetafe.[25] In the2020 Supercopa de España Final against Real Madrid, which ended 0–0 afterextra time, both he andThomas Partey missed their shoot-out attempts in a 4–1 defeat.[26][27]
On 18 February 2020, Saúl scored from close range in the fourth minute of the2019–20 Champions League's round-of-16 first leg – his tenth goal in the competition[28]– against defending championsLiverpool to ensure a 1–0 home win for the hosts.[29] He also featured in the second leg atAnfield, playing the entire 3–2 extra-time victory.[30]
On 30 June 2020, Saúl scored twice frompenalties in a 2–2 draw away toBarcelona, as Atlético managed that number of goals against that opposition in a league match for the first time under Simeone.[31]
On 31 August 2021, Saúl joinedPremier League clubChelsea on loan for the remainder of the2021–22 season, with an option to make the transfer permanent upon the completion of the loan.[32] He made his Premier League debut on 11 September, in a 3–0 win againstAston Villa, but received criticism from fans for his performance.[33] He won theClub World Cup with Chelsea on 12 February 2022, coming on as a 76th minute substitute to replaceCallum Hudson-Odoi in a2–1 final victory againstPalmeiras. He scored his only goal of the season againstLuton Town in a 3–2FA Cup win on 2 March 2022.[34] Saúl posted his goodbye to Chelsea and the club's fans on 7 June 2022 as his loan spell ended and he returned to Atlético Madrid.[35]
On 24 September 2023, Saúl provided two assists and was named Man of the Match in a 3–1 victory over rivals Real Madrid, which also marked his 300th match in La Liga.[36]
On 15 July 2024,Sevilla announced the signing of Saúl on loan for the duration of the2024–25 season, with the possibility of a further extension.[37]
On 23 July 2025,Campeonato Brasileiro Série A clubFlamengo officially signed Saúl on a free transfer until December 2028 after he terminated his contract withAtlético Madrid.[38] Later that year, he won theCopa Libertadores title after his club's 1–0 victory overPalmeiras in thefinal, becoming the third Spaniard to achieve this feat followingRaúl Amarilla andPablo Marí.[39]
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Saúl earned 47caps for Spain, allyouth levels comprised.[citation needed] He experienced individual and collective success in theunder-19 team, winning the2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and being named in the Team of the Tournament.[40]
On 26 May 2015, Saúl was called to thesenior team for afriendly withCosta Rica and aUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match againstBelarus,[41] but did not make his debut on either occasion. He,Sergio Rico andLucas Vázquez were the three uncapped players in a provisional squad for the final tournament in France,[42] but was eventually cut from the final squad alongsideIsco.[43]
Saúl made his debut on 1 September 2016, playing 15 minutes in a 2–0 friendly win away toBelgium.[44] He was crowned top scorer at the2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, notably scoring ahat-trick to help Spain beatItaly 3–1 in the semi-final.[45]
Back with the full team, Saúl was selected in the squad chosen by managerJulen Lopetegui for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[46] FollowingFernando Hierro replacing the latter shortly before the tournament, he was an unused member in an eventual round-of-16 exit.[47]
Under new coachLuis Enrique, Saúl scored his first goal for his country on 8 September 2018, equalising in an eventual 2–1 win againstEngland for the2018–19 UEFA Nations League A atWembley Stadium.[48] He also scored againstCroatia in the following fixture three days later, a 6–0 victory in his hometown of Elche in the same competition.[47]
Amidfielder by trade,[47] Saúl was deployed as acentre-back during his spell at Rayo Vallecano.[49] Spanish football journalistGuillem Balagué stated that he suits several styles of play, citing his ability to play "Simeone style" (in reference to Atlético managerDiego Simeone) and "Barcelona style", summing up with "We have never had a midfielder like this".[47]
FollowingLuis Enrique's appointment as Spain manager in 2018,Diario AS' Alfredo Relaño remarked that "Saúl is the player to move the ball forward with purpose and attempt to finalise long passages of possession", adding that "The new centre of the park for Spain (where so much happens for the national side) is now defined by him, abox-to-box player and one never afraid to try his luck in front of goal",[49] Sid Lowe ofThe Guardian opined that "now he embodies the shift, technique and talent but athleticism too, blessed of impeccable timing, arriving in the area".[50]
Saúl comes from a football family: his father,Boria, played several years withElche as astriker.[51] His brothers,Aarón andJony, are also footballers where together they opened a football club based in the Spanish city of Elche named Costa City Club which has a very clear objective: to develop young players aged between 4 and 18 years through sport but also with food education and education.[52][53][54]
Saúl was one of the stars of theAmazon Prime television documentary seriesSix Dreams, recorded during the 2017–18 season.[55] In June 2020, he announced that he and his brother Aarón would be starting a new youth project withNike called Club Costa City, in his hometown.[56]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Atlético Madrid B | 2010–11[57] | Segunda División B | 22 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | ||||
| 2011–12[58] | 22 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | ||||||
| 2012–13[59] | 26 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 6 | ||||||
| Total | 70 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 70 | 8 | ||||||
| Atlético Madrid | 2011–12[58] | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[59] | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15[60] | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 5[d] | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 35 | 4 | |||
| 2015–16[61] | 31 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | 13[d] | 3 | — | 48 | 9 | ||||
| 2016–17[62] | 33 | 4 | 8 | 1 | — | 12[d] | 4 | — | 53 | 9 | ||||
| 2017–18[63] | 36 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 15[f] | 4 | — | 56 | 6 | ||||
| 2018–19[64] | 33 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 8[d] | 1 | 1[g] | 1 | 45 | 6 | |||
| 2019–20[65] | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 9[d] | 1 | 2[e] | 0 | 47 | 7 | |||
| 2020–21[66] | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[d] | 0 | — | 41 | 2 | ||||
| 2021–22[67] | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| 2022–23[68] | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 5[d] | 0 | — | 38 | 3 | ||||
| 2023–24[69] | 34 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 1 | 1[e] | 0 | 49 | 2 | |||
| Total | 295 | 30 | 35 | 3 | — | 91 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 427 | 48 | |||
| Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 2013–14[70] | La Liga | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 2 | |||
| Chelsea (loan) | 2021–22[71] | Premier League | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5[d] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Sevilla (loan) | 2024–25[72] | La Liga | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 1 | |||
| Flamengo | 2025 | Série A | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[i] | 0 | 2[j] | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Career total | 449 | 41 | 45 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 607 | 60 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 19 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 September 2018 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 11 |  England | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A | [74] |
| 2 | 11 September 2018 | Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche, Spain | 12 |  Croatia | 1–0 | 6–0 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A | [75] |
| 3 | 12 October 2019 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | 18 |  Norway | 1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying | [76] |
Atlético Madrid
Chelsea
Flamengo
Spain U19
