Jordi Alba

On 11 March 2019, Alba agreed to a new five year deal with a new buyout clause of €500M.

On 22 May 2016, Alba won the second Copa del Rey of his career, scoring in the 97th minute of the final against Sevilla after a through pass from Lionel Messi, in an eventual 2–0 extra time win at the Vicente Calderón Stadium.

On 2 June 2015, Alba agreed to a new five-year deal with a new buyout clause of €150 million. Four days later, he started in the Champions League final, helping the club to its fifth win in the competition by beating Juventus at Berlin's Olympiastadion. He made 38 appearances in all competitions, with one goal,) as Barça won a treble.

Alba made Del Bosque's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, making three appearances as the defending champions crashed out in the group stage. He was also named in Julen Lopetegui's squad for the 2018 World Cup.

On 12 March 2013, Alba scored his fifth goal of the campaign, scoring in the last minute to complete Barcelona's 4–0 home win over A.C. Milan in the Champions League round of 16 after a 0–2 loss, when his team was the first in the competition's history to overturn such a deficit. He ended his first year at the Camp Nou as league champion, as Tito Vilanova's side regained the title from Real Madrid.

Alba was included in Vicente del Bosque's squad for the finals in Poland and Ukraine, and played in every match for the eventual winners. He supplied the cross for Xabi Alonso to open the scoring in the 2–0 quarter-final victory over France. In the final against Italy, after running onto a pass from Xavi during a counter-attack, he scored the second goal in a 4–0 win.

Alba was also selected for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. He played four complete matches during the tournament, scoring twice in the 3–0 group stage win over Nigeria.

He started his career at Barcelona, but was released after being deemed too small. After joining Cornellà, he moved to Valencia. In 2012 he returned to Barcelona, with whom he went on to win 14 major honours, including five La Liga titles, four Copas del Rey and one Champions League.

On 28 June 2012, Alba signed a five-year contract with Barcelona for a transfer fee of €14 million. He made his official debut on 19 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–1 home win against Real Sociedad.

Alba scored his first goal for the Blaugrana on 20 October 2012, the opener in a 5–4 win at Deportivo de La Coruña, and scoring an own goal. In the following game, at home against Celtic in the Champions League group stage, he found the net in the 93rd minute of a 2–1 win.

After winning 23 caps and scoring one goal at youth level, Alba made his senior debut for Spain in 2011. He was an integral member of the team that won the European Championship in 2012, and was also part of the squads at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and Euro 2016.

Alba received his first call-up to the full side on 30 September 2011, for the last two UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Scotland. He made his debut in the latter game on 11 October, a 3–1 win in Alicante in which his cut back from the left wing provided the assist for the opening goal, scored by former Valencia teammate David Silva. His impressive debut confirmed his status as a strong candidate to be the long-term successor of Joan Capdevila as the regular left back for La Roja, and he was also included in the under-23 squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In 2010–11, still with Unai Emery in charge, Alba was used almost always as a defender, battling for first-choice status with Jérémy Mathieu. He made 27 league appearances as the team again finished third, subsequently qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

After returning to Los Che, Alba made his La Liga debut on 13 September 2009, in a 4–2 win at Real Valladolid. He then started in two consecutive UEFA Europa League group stage matches, against Lille and Slavia Prague (both 1–1 draws, respectively away and home). Due to continuing injuries in Valencia's defence, he played much of 2009–10 as a left back, posting overall good performances. In that position, on 11 April 2010, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–3 away loss to Mallorca.

Alba represented the Spanish team at the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, as well as appearing in all four games as the nation won the gold medal at the 2009 Mediterranenan Games. He was also part of the squad at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.

After helping the reserves earn promotion from Tercera División in 2007–08, Alba played on loan at Segunda División club Gimnàstic de Tarragona the following season, where he made 22 starts.

Born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Alba started his career in the youth ranks of Barcelona as a left winger, but was released by the club in 2005 for being too small. He then joined neighbouring club Cornellà and, after almost two years, departed in a €6,000 deal to Valencia where he finished his football education.

Jordi Alba Ramos (Catalan: [ˈʒɔɾði ˈalβə ˈramos] , Spanish: [ˈɟʝoɾði ˈalβa ˈramos] ; born 21 March 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Barcelona and the Spain national team.