Jordi Alba is a defensive player with pace, link-up play, ball control, positioning, vision, and movement, who makes attacking runs into space look so easy and impactful. While also delivering crosses into the box, his ability to provide assists makes him one of the best left-backs of his generation.
Early life
Born in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia. Alba began his career in Barcelona’s youth academy in 2005 as a left winger due to height issues. Subsequently, he attended Club Cornellà. for nearly two years and then transferred to Valencia for €6,000, where he completed his football graduation.
Youth Days- Valencia
Alba was part of Valencia reserves’ team promotion from Tercera División and was later loaned to Segunda División club Gimnàstic Tarragona, where he made 22 starts.
Alba made his La Liga debut on September 13, 2009, on his return, in a 4–2 victory against Real Valladolid. He then played in two consecutive UEFA Europa League group stage matches, both ending in 1–1 draws against Lille (away) and Slavia Prague (home). Due to injury issues in Valencia’s defence, he spent the 2009–10 season playing as a left-back. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 away loss to Mallorca in April 2010.
Under Unai Emery’s management the following season, Alba was primarily used as a defender, competing with Jérémy Mathieu for the starting role. Having made 27 league appearances, in a surprising third-place finish took his side to 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.
Emery began using the duo, Alba and Mathieu as Valencia’s left flank forces, which was a strategic success from the previous season. This effective tactic brought versatility in Alba and Mathieu as they frequently swapped positions, providing mutual support in both attack and defence. Alba also credited Emery as a pivotal figure in his success as a left-back.
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Barcelona
Jordi Alba moved to Barcelona for a transfer fee of €14 million on June 2012 signing a five-year deal. He marked his full debut playing 90 minutes in a 5–1 home win against Real Sociedad on the opening day.
In October 2012 ,Alba scored his first goal for the Blaugrana, in a thrilling 5–4 win at Deportivo La Coruña. In a Champions League group stage match against Celtic, he scored in the 93rd minute to secure a 2–1 victory at home in the subsequent mid-week fixture.
Alba scored his fifth goal for Barcelona in 4–0 thumping over A.C. Milan in the Champions League round of 16. This victory was historic as they overturned a 0–2 first-leg deficit to become the first team to do so in the history of the competition. Alba ended his first season at Barcelona on a high becoming league champions.
In June 2015, Alba agreed to another five years with a buyout clause of €150 million, the Champions League final, winning the club’s fifth win in Berlin’s Olympiastadion against Juventus. That season he won the magnificent treble at Barça.
A second Copa del Rey medal awaited the Spanish defender, after scoring in the 97th minute of the final against Sevilla from Lionel Messi a Messi assist, which was the only trophy of the 2016/17 season.
The Catalans agreed to another five-year deal with Alba, with a buyout clause of €500 million for the following year.
Alba missed half of Barcelona’s games due to a hamstring injury and a muscle injury in the 2019–20 campaign.
He scored five goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions, winning the Copa del Rey at the end of the campaign, marking his best season for the Spanish giants.
Jordi Alba was named the 4th captain of Barcelona on 9 August 2021 after Lionel Messi’s departure.
It was announced that Alba would leave Barcelona at the end of the 2022–23 season, following a mutual agreement with the club to terminate his contract one year early.
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Inter Miami
Jordi Alba moved west on a one-and-a-half-year contract with Inter Miami, joining his former team-mates Messi and Sergio Busquets in mid-2023 to play in the MLS. In August against Orlando City in a League Cup play-off game, he made his debut by coming in as a substitute. He scored his first goal a week later for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup semi-final in a 4–1 win against Philadelphia Union. Later he lifted his MLS League Cup marking his first trophy with the new franchise.
Club stats
Valencia- 6 goals in 110 appearances
Barcelona – 27 goals in 459 appearances
Inter Miami- 3 goals in 28 appearances
International career
At the 2008 UEFA European U-19 Championship and the 2009 Mediterranean Games, he donned the Spain colours winning gold. Against Scotland in October 2011 he made his senior debut with an assist in a 3–1 win. Then the silverware followed as he won Euro 2012, providing an assist in the quarter-finals and scoring in the final against Italy. Alba also took part in the 2013 FIFA Confederations and then the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups respectively. He played the UEFA Euro 2020 for the last time, later captaining Spain to their first Nations League title.
Alba then announced retirement from international football on 29 August 2023.
International stats
Spain- 9 goals in 93 appearances
Net worth
Alba is set to earn €38 million ($42 million) in 2023/2024, as per reports, with €20 million ($22 million) deferred because of the agreement.
Personal life
Alba married Romarey Ventura on June 17, 2022, and the couple has three children.
Honours
Barcelona
La Liga: 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23
Copa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21; runner-up: 2013–14, 2018–19
Supercopa de España: 2013, 2016, 2018, 2022–23
UEFA Champions League: 2014–15
FIFA Club World Cup: 2015
Inter Miami
Leagues Cup: 2023
Spain U20
Mediterranean Games: 2009
Spain
UEFA European Championship: 2012
UEFA Nations League: 2022–23
FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013
Individual
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15
UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2018–19
La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15
ESM Team of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19
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