Who is Gonzalo Garcia, Real Madrid's 21-year-old star to score first goal against Al Hilal in FIFA Club World Cup?
Gonzalo Garcia came into the limelight in Real Madrid's FIFA Club World Cup opening game against Al-Hilal. The 21-year-old scored the first goal for the team in the group stage match at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami. But who is this emerging talent? Let's find out.
Gonzalo Garcia made a breakthrough for Real Madrid in the 34th minute. Notably, it also marked the first goal under the team's new manager, Xabi Alonso.
Gonzalo Garcia's journey to Real Madrid began with stints at several youth academies in Spain. Before joining the prestigious La Fabrica, Real Madrid's youth academy, in 2014, he honed his skills at SEK, Club Santa Bárbara, and Jarama Race. In the 2018–19 season, Garcia briefly moved to Mallorca's academy but returned to Real Madrid, where he continued to develop as a versatile and dynamic forward.
Garcia first played a senior-level football game in March 2022, when he debuted for Real Madrid Castilla, the club's reserve team competing in Spain's third tier. His performances were impressive, and by the 2023–24 season, he had earned a call-up to Real Madrid's first team.
His senior debut came in a commanding 3-0 La Liga victory over Cadiz, where he showcased his composure and potential. Since then, Garcia has made five additional appearances for the senior side, contributing one assist.
His defining moment before the Al Hilal match came in February 2025, when he netted a winner in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals against Leganes.
Across his 95 appearances for Real Madrid's senior and youth teams, Garcia has scored an impressive 37 goals and provided 11 assists. Stepping in for Kylian Mbappe, who was not part of the line-up due to illness, Garcia grabbed his moment against Al Hilal and proved that he can compete on the biggest stages.
Despite Garcia's first goal, Al Hilal fought back. In the 41st minute, Ruben Neves scored a goal and took to scoreline to 1-1.
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