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Gonzalo Garcia: Real's breakout star
- Real Madrid drew their FIFA Club World Cup opener 1-1 against Al Hilal
- Academy product Gonzalo Garcia scored the Spanish side's only goal
- Expresses his delight at being able to contribute as a home-grown player
Among the many potential stars coming through Real Madrid’s youth set-up, Gonzalo Garcia is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and certainly one of the most promising. A lethal forward, he boasts excellent agility and frighteningly accurate goal-scoring skills. He had already impressed Carlo Ancelotti, and has now done the same with Xabi Alonso, who named him in his starting XI for Los Blancos’ FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ opener against Al Hilal after a fever forced Kylian Mbappe out of the team.
Alonso’s gamble paid off in spades as Garcia broke the deadlock in the 34th minute, finishing off a slick counter-attack to hand the Spanish side an early advantage. It was a passage of play started by Garcia himself, and which, seconds later, he ended with a goal thanks to an assist by Rodrygo.
At Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, Garcia played between the other two attackers, Vinicius and Rodrygo, who hugged the touchlines to create as much space as possible. While the homegrown star largely stayed between the centre-backs, he also showed intent by dropping deeper, pivoting, and getting involved in the build-up. He also looked to make runs in behind and diagonal movements.
Speaking post-match, the 21-year-old expressed his delight at being able to help his side against a formidable opponent. "To play for Real Madrid for the first time is a dream. I am looking forward to the rest of our matches and I’m hoping we can win.
"For me, it’s not about being noticed, it’s the fact it shows that players coming through La Fabrica, and Castilla in particular, are ready to compete at the top. The coach asked me to stay on the last line right from the start of the match, to focus on the centre-backs, to be in the box, waiting for any potential rebounds, crosses or chances in the area I could take advantage of. It’s what we’ve worked on all these weeks training together.”
Garcia has become a familiar face to Real Madrid fans. He has played six games with the first team, seven including the Club World Cup opener, after debuting against Cadiz on 26 November 2023. His most memorable game came last season in the Copa del Rey against Leganes.
Former head coach Carlo Ancelotti gave him an opportunity to take to the pitch at 2-2, with the team on the ropes and the youngster delivered when it mattered most, scoring the decider for a 3-2 win that sent the team into the semi-finals.
Garcia was born in Madrid and joined Real’s youth setup in 2014, spending all but one of those years with the club. The 2018/19 season saw him move to Mallorca for family reasons, where he was taken on by the local team and performed brilliantly, so much so that Madrid asked him to come back the following year.
He has been a stand-out talent in every age group all the way up to the top professional league - progression that comes as no surprise to the club that has witnessed his rapid rise and evident skill.
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This season he has played for Real Madrid Castilla, Real Madrid C.F.’s reserve team, under head coach Raul. At La Fabrica (the name given to Real’s youth academy), he has frequently been compared to his coach, most notably for the ease with which he finds the goal and for his scoring prowess.
Last year saw him break the record for number of goals scored in a single season in the Primera Federacion, the third tier of the Spanish football league, with 25 goals in 36 games.
"I definitely think I have the potential to play for Real Madrid. I knew what I had to do, but I don’t compare myself to anyone. We’re talking about Real Madrid, the best players in the world. And, like I said, myself and the rest of the Castilla players will always be given a chance. We’ll try to make the most of it, just as we have been doing all season", he said, following the draw against Al Hilal.
Garcia has been receiving numerous offers to play at professional level ever since his junior days, but both he and the club have preferred to nurture his development in Madrid. It has been a formula for success that has culminated in Xabi Alonso selecting him for the FIFA Club World Cup opener, thrusting him into the spotlight of the world football stage.
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