.png) Soler withValencia in 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carlos Soler Barragán[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1997-01-02)2 January 1997 (age 28) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Valencia, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | West Ham United (on loan fromParis Saint-Germain) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Bonrepòs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2015 | Valencia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Valencia B | 39 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2022 | Valencia | 182 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Paris Saint-Germain | 50 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | →West Ham United (loan) | 27 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Spain U19 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Spain U21 | 20 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Spain Olympic | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Spain | 14 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:01, 13 April 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:21, 6 December 2022 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Carlos Soler Barragán (born 2 January 1997) is a Spanish professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forPremier League clubWest Ham United, on loan fromLigue 1 clubParis Saint-Germain, and theSpain national team.
Soler began his professional career atValencia, making 226 appearances, scoring 36 goals and winning theCopa del Rey in2019. He joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 for an €18 million fee, and won Ligue 1 in his first two seasons.
Internationally, Soler won a silver medal with theSpanish Olympic team in the2020 tournament. He made his senior debut in 2021 and was chosen for the2022 FIFA World Cup.
Born inValencia, Soler was first introduced to football by taking shots at half-time at the age of four during games for Bonrepòs, his brother's team. Impressed by his power, the club wanted him; he was initially too shy and only joined when his grandfather gave him aGame Boy for attending.[3] He joined hometown clubValencia's youth setup four years later in 2005, initially as a prolificstriker, but later being pushed back to be anattacking midfielder and then acentral midfielder.[4]
Soler made his senior debut withthe reserves on 3 May 2015, starting in a 1–0Segunda División B away loss againstCornellà.[5] He scored his first senior goal on 13 December, netting his team's second in a 2–2 draw atBadalona.[6] The following 12 March he renewed his contract for two more years with the option of as many more,[7] and was an unusedsubstitute in the main squad's 2–1 home win againstAthletic Bilbao forthe season'sUEFA Europa League.[8]
On 10 December 2016 Soler made his first team – andLa Liga – debut, replacingMario Suárez in a 3–2 loss againstReal Sociedad at theAnoeta Stadium.[9] He scored his first goal in the category the following 21 January, netting the first in a 2–0Valencian Community derby win againstVillarreal at theEstadio de la Cerámica.[10] He was sent off on 4 February in a 4–0 loss toEibar at theMestalla Stadium for a tussle withGonzalo Escalante during acorner kick routine, conceding apenalty.[11]
In January 2018, Soler signed his third new contract with Valencia in little over a year, tying him to the club until 2021 and increasing hisrelease clause to €80 million.[12] He totalled 51 appearances in 2018–19, including 13 in his debut European season in theUEFA Champions League and Europa League; he scored in group-stage wins overYoung Boys andManchester United in the former.[13][14] He played seven games in the season'sCopa del Rey as Valencia won their first honour for 11 years, and assistedRodrigo's winner in the 2–1final victory overBarcelona on 25 May 2019.[15]
On 17 December 2019, Soler signed a four-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2023, with his release clause set at €150 million.[16] The following 8 November, he scored the firsthat-trick of his career in a 4–1league win overReal Madrid, with all three goals coming from penalties; only two La Liga players had ever scored such a treble before.[17] He finished2020–21 as Valencia's top scorer with 12 goals, all bar one in theleague season and seven from the spot.[18]
In2021–22, Soler was again Valencia's league top scorer with 11, joint withGonçalo Guedes.[19] In the Copa del Rey, he played six games and scored the opener in a 2–1 win atCartagena in the last 32 on 5 January;[20] he featured for all 120 minutes ofthe final againstReal Betis and scored the first attempt in apenalty shootout that his team lost.[21]
On 1 September 2022, Soler signed forLigue 1 clubParis Saint-Germain (PSG) on a five-year contract. The initial transfer fee was €18 million, potentially rising by €3 million.[22] He made his debut five days later as a late-match substitute in a 2–1 Champions League home win overJuventus,[23] and on 18 September he played his first league game off the bench in a 1–0 win atLyon.[24]
Soler scored his first goal for PSG on 25 October 2022, concluding a 7–2 Champions League win againstMaccabi Haifa at theParc des Princes. He went on to start in the final group stage match againstJuventus, a 2–1 victory; however, PSG lost out on top spot toBenfica.[25][26] On 29 October, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal to open PSG's account in a 4–3 home win overTroyes, while also winning a penalty thatKylian Mbappé scored.[27] He finished his first season as a Ligue 1 champion.[28]
During the2023–24 season, Soler was often a substitute under compatriot managerLuis Enrique, who had played him fairly regularly in the Spain national team.[29][30][31]
On 30 August 2024, Soler joinedPremier League clubWest Ham United on loan for the 2024–25 season.[32]
On 14 January 2025, Soler scored his first goal for West Ham when he opened the scoring in a 3-2 victory againstFulham at the London Stadium.
Soler was part of theSpanish Olympic team that took part in thedelayed 2020 tournament in Japan, finishing with a silver medal.[33] Later in August 2021, he was called up to thesenior team for matches againstSweden,Georgia andKosovo.[34] He made his debut on 2 September away to the Swedes, scoring a volley after four minutes in a 2–1 loss,[35] and three days later he netted again in a 4–0 win over Georgia inBadajoz.[36]
Luis Enrique called Soler up for the2022 FIFA World Cup inQatar.[37] On 23 November, in Spain's opener againstCosta Rica, he came on forPedri after 57 minutes and scored in a 7–0 victory.[38] In the last 16 againstMorocco, he came off the bench in a goalless draw before having his attempt saved byYassine Bounou in a penalty shootout defeat.[39]
Soler started a degree in sports journalism, which he did not finish. He regularly watched thePremier League onCanal+ as a child and learned the English language.[3]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Valencia B | 2014–15 | Segunda División B | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | Segunda División B | 28 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 2 | |||||
| 2016–17 | Segunda División B | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 39 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 39 | 3 | ||||||
| Valencia | 2016–17 | La Liga | 23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 3 | |||
| 2017–18 | La Liga | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 1 | ||||
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 31 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 13[c] | 2 | — | 51 | 4 | |||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 5[d] | 1 | 1[e] | 0 | 37 | 3 | ||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 32 | 11 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 34 | 12 | ||||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 32 | 11 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 38 | 12 | ||||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Total | 182 | 31 | 25 | 2 | — | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 226 | 36 | |||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 26 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 6[d] | 1 | — | 35 | 6 | ||
| 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| Total | 50 | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 8 | |||
| West Ham United (loan) | 2024–25 | Premier League | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 297 | 40 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 356 | 48 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2021 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 | 10 | 2 | |
| Total | 14 | 4 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 September 2021 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | 1 |  Sweden | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 5 September 2021 | Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain | 2 |  Georgia | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 12 June 2022 | La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain | 9 |  Czech Republic | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 4 | 23 November 2022 | Al Thumama Stadium,Doha, Qatar | 13 |  Costa Rica | 6–0 | 7–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
Valencia
Paris Saint-Germain
Spain U21
Spain U23
Spain squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
