Álex Baena
LMLWCM
Spain25 years
Showing2026/27 seasonAll official competitions
Preferred Positions
Last 24 months · all competitions
LM
Left midfieldMain
3,265 min · 59 apps · 33 starts
LW
Left wing
1,126 min · 17 apps · 17 starts
CM
Central midfield
742 min · 11 apps · 11 starts
Squad importance
Current squad importance over the club’s last 40 recorded competitive games in this spell, including previous seasons. Starts and minutes contribute 70%; performance contributes 30%. Absences reduce the score gradually, with less weight when a player is outside the matchday squad.Current role at Atletico Madrid · independent of the season filter
Rotation
Involvement65%
Performance46%
Through the match on 3 Nov 2026. Refreshed daily.
Profile
Career & playing style
Álex Baena is a Spanish midfielder who creates chances from the left and through the centre. Naturally right-footed, he looks for gaps that open when teammates draw defenders away, using passes into space to connect midfield with attacking runs.
Born in Roquetas de Mar on 20 July 2001, he developed in Villarreal’s academy and reached the first team during the 2019/20 season. He was part of the squad that won the Europa League in 2021, before spending the following season on loan at Girona.
At Girona, Baena helped the club win promotion to Spain’s top division in 2021/22. His return to Villarreal brought an immediate impact: on the opening day of the 2022/23 league season, he came off the bench and scored twice against Real Valladolid.
He finished 2023/24 as LaLiga’s leading assist provider with 14. The last illustrated his ability to find a route through a defence: at Osasuna, he passed between the centre-backs for José Luis Morales to score. In July 2025, Baena moved from Villarreal to Atlético de Madrid.
His senior Spain debut came against Cyprus in September 2023, when he scored soon after coming on. In 2024, he was a member of the European Championship-winning squad and then won Olympic gold. His free kick put Spain 3-1 ahead in the Olympic final against France, eventually won 5-3 after extra time.
Baena added a World Cup title with Spain in July 2026. Earlier in the tournament, he scored the only goal against Uruguay as Spain secured first place in their group. Spain went on to beat Argentina in the final on 19 July.
His contribution also begins before the final pass. FIFA’s analysis of Spain’s 2024 Olympic quarter-final against Japan highlighted how Baena received in space after teammates had escaped pressure. In another sequence, he took a pass from Abel Ruiz and played into the gap left by the defender following the striker. When Spain regained possession, he could carry forward centrally with runners on either side. These sequences show how he helps an attack gather speed.
Latest stats & form
Álex Baena currently plays for Atletico Madrid as a left winger. He has represented Spain internationally.