Thiago Alcântara

Thiago Alcântara

Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento (; Portuguese:  “Thiago”) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the Spain national team. Thiago was born in San Pietro Vernotico, Italy, when his father was playing for nearby U.S. S. Lecce. He joined Barcelona aged 14, and made his first team debut in 2009. He won four La Liga titles, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup for Barcelona. He was signed by Bayern Munich for €25 million in 2013. In 2020, he signed for Liverpool in a transfer worth an initial £20 million.

About Thiago Alcântara in brief

Summary Thiago AlcântaraThiago Alcântara do Nascimento (; Portuguese:  “Thiago”) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the Spain national team. Thiago was born in San Pietro Vernotico, Italy, when his father Mazinho was playing for nearby U.S. S. Lecce. He joined Barcelona aged 14, and made his first team debut in 2009. He won four La Liga titles, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup for Barcelona. He was signed by Bayern Munich for €25 million in 2013. In 2020, he signed for Liverpool in a transfer worth an initial £20 million. He helped Spain to European Championships at under-19 and under-21 levels. He made his full international debut in 2011 and was part of the provisional squad for Spain in the 2014 World Cup but withdrew due to a knee injury. In January 2014, he scored his first Bundesliga goal, the scisskicked winner in stoppage time against VfB Stuttgart. He also had an assist to Claudio Pizarro for Bayern’s first goal in the 2–1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt. Four days later, he set a Bundesliga record with 185 touches, which was voted the Goal of the Month for the month of January. He is the eldest child of former player Mazinho and his cousin Marielo Dos Santos is also a Barcelona player. He has been selected for UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

He played for Flamengo in Brazil and Kelme CF in Spain. He returned to Spain in 2005, signing for FC Barcelona, where his cousin was also playing. In 2005, he moved back to Spain, signing with FC Barcelona. In 2009, aged 18, Thiago made his debut for the first team when he came on as a substitute for Eiður Guðjohnsen in the 74th minute at RCD Mallorca for his only appearance of the season. He ended the 2010–11 season with 17 games, three goals, and three assists, and was an unused substitute as Barcelona won the 2011 Champions League Final against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. On 14 July 2013, he joined Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, for a €25m fee. The transfer came despite a new contract that Barcelona had given Thiago in 2011 which set his release clause at €90 million. In his final year at the club, he won 16 trophies, including the Bundesliga seven times in a row, and the European Champions League as part of a continental treble in his final season. On 11 August 2013 he made his Bundesliga debut in a 0–0 DFL-Supercup win against Borussia Dortmund. On 21 December 2013 he scored first competitive goal for Bayern Munich in the 2013 World Cup Final against Raja Casablanca, sealing the 2-0 win for the Moroccan club.