Bucket, power and speed for an even younger Spain

The world begins to turn too fast for Alejandro Balde (Barcelona, ​​2003), the boy destined to replace José Gayá on the Spanish list. In a few months he has gone from playing with the Barcelona subsidiary to doing it in a whole World Cup, a crazy journey that at the moment does not give him vertigo.

His great season at Barça is to blame for this emergency call. He made his debut with the Barça team more than a year ago, still with Koeman on the bench, in one of the painful defeats against Bayern (0-3). Jordi Alba’s injury gave him the alternative. Then he appeared on and off until an ankle injury curtailed his progression.

This season, now without physical problems, he has ended up convincing Xavi Hernández completely. He started as the third left back, behind Alba and Marcos Alonso, but ended up displacing both. Then, the emergencies forced his coach to recruit him as a right back, and the experiment also worked wonders. In that position he has been performing in recent times, and also there he could play for the national team if necessary. That proven versatility is combined with extraordinary speed and physical power. They are his greatest virtue, although at the La Masía school he has also developed his technical profile. Brazen in attack, his greatest weakness is found, on the other hand, in defensive work. During this season his numbers have taken off: 16 games played, more than 1,000 minutes and three assists.

He arrived at Barça in 2011, at the age of eight, from the Espanyol youth team. He had previously played at Sant Gabriel. His roots are as explosive as his game. His father is from Guinea Bissau, like Ansu Fati, and his mother was born in the Dominican Republic. That genetics made him try athletics from a very young age, but as soon as a ball came across him, he had no doubts.

When the two countries of origin of his parents began to stand out, they tried to count on him. Actually, he has never actually said no to them, because the speed of events has barely given him time to think about that possibility. His career is directed by Gestifute, the powerful representation agency of the Portuguese Jorge Mendes. His first professional contract with Barça lasts until 2024, with a clause of 500 million. In recent months the player has received dozens of calls from foreign clubs asking about his situation.

A regular in the lower categories with Spain, his debut with the sub-21 came just a month and a half ago. Upon receiving the call from the absolute he was concentrated with them in Seville. After receiving a hug from his teammates and from Luis de la Fuente, the kids’ coach, he also left that concentration to finalize the details that will shortly make him the last soldier of Luis Enrique. Balde will become the second youngest international called up for Qatar, behind his teammate Gavi.