User:Profavi1/FelixGarcia
 | This is a user page; a page for a registered Wikipedia user with username Profavi1. This page is not an article and its content may not be factual. |
 García with Arsenal in 2027 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Félix García Nilsson | ||
| Date of birth | 16 December 2004 (age 23)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward, wing-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Paris Saint-Germain | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014–2023 | Almería | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2024 | Almería | 38 | (18) |
| 2024–2026 | Bayer Leverkusen | 64 | (35) |
| 2026–2027 | Arsenal | 36 | (35) |
| 2027– | Paris Saint-Germain | 24 | (20) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2020–2021 | Spain U16 | ||
| 2021–2022 | Spain U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 2022 | Sweden U19 | 3 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Spain U21 | 8 | (2) |
| 2024– | Sweden | 33 | (22) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 March 2028 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 March 2028 | |||
Félix García Nilsson (born 16 December 2004) is a Spanish-Swedish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Sweden national team. Known for his pace, passing ability, and skill on the ball, he is considered one of the greatest players of his generation.[1][2]
García began his career with UD Almería, making his senior debut in 2023. His performances quickly marked him as one of the world's best young talents, finishing his first season as La Liga's top assist provider. In 2024, he signed for Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record fee of €60 million (£51 million). In his debut season he broke Lionel Messi's records for most assists in all competitions in the 21st century (33) and most assists in a top-five league season (26), for which he was named both the Bundesliga Player of the Season and the UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season. He repeated the former win in the following campaign, leading Leverkusen to their second-ever Bundesliga title. He also became the first player to win both the Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards twice, achieving this in 2024 and 2025.
In 2026, García was signed by Arsenal in a club record deal worth over £115 million (€135 million). In his first season, he was instrumental in Arsenal winning the Premier League, their first in 23 years, and the FA Cup, scoring 53 goals in all competitions, the most ever for a Premier League player. As well as finishing as top scorer of the FA Cup and Champions League, he swept numerous awards, including the Premier League Golden Boot, European Golden Shoe and 2027 Ballon d'Or. After just one season with Arsenal, he was signed by Paris Saint-Germain in 2027 for a transfer fee of €210 million (£177.1 million), the second-most expensive transfer in football history.
The son of former defender Carlos García, García was born and raised in Spain and played for both the Spain and Sweden national teams at youth level. He made his senior debut for Sweden in 2024, and was part of the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he was named best young player.
Early life
[edit]García was born in Barcelona, Spain, to professional footballer Carlos García, who was playing for RCD Espanyol at the time, and Swedish-born actress Linda Nilsson.[1] When he was six months old, García and his family moved to Almería. García, his mother, and siblings all remained in Spain following his father's departure for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2012.[1] In 2013, an eight-year-old García trialled at Barcelona's La Masia academy, but was not selected for the club's youth program.[1]
Club career
[edit]Almería
[edit]2023–24 season: Breakthrough
[edit]Having joined UD Almería's youth setup aged nine in 2014, García was promoted to the senior side for friendlies in July 2023 by manager Vicente Moreno following his performances at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship for Spain.[1] Though expected to largely be a part of the B side in the 2023–24 season, his performance in friendlies against VfB Stuttgart and Lecce led to his inclusion in the first-team matchday squad.[1]
García made his senior debut on 15 August 2023, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute for Adri Embarba in a 1–0 win over Rayo Vallecano.[1] On 2 September, he scored his first goals of his senior career, netting twice off the bench in a 2–0 win over Celta de Vigo.[1] He scored another brace in his following game, a 3–0 away win over Villareal, and was praised for his performance.[1] He made his first start for the club on 22 September, scoring and assisting in a 2–2 draw against Valencia.[1] After scoring twice and assisting in a 4–1 win over Sevilla on 27 September, he was named La Liga Player of the Month, having notched seven goals and two assists in four games, becoming the youngest ever player to receive the award.[1]
"Félix has been amazing this season, especially for just 19. He’s got such a bright future ahead of him — top clubs will come for him soon. We were lucky to have him here at Almería; his talent is something you don’t see every day. He’s fearless, mature, and always wants to make a difference. I’m sure he’s going to have a big career ahead."
– Almería manager Vicente Moreno in a 2024 interview with Marca[1]
Having netted a penalty in a 1–0 win over Girona on 21 October, he achieved a hat-trick of assists as well as scoring in a 4–1 win over Alavés on 3 November.[1] On 4 December, he assisted twice in a 2–2 draw with Granada, and later scored twice and assisted in a 3–2 win over Mallorca on 12 December.[1] On 20 December, he netted a brace in a 2–1 away win over Barcelona, becoming the youngest opposition player to score a brace at the Camp Nou.[1] For his four goals and three assists in four games in December, he was named Player of the Month once again.[1] After registering an assist in a 2–2 draw with Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, García scored and assisted in both a 3–1 win over Valencia on 5 February 2024 and a 2–1 win over Granada in 17 February.[1][2] He later scored a late goal in a 3–1 defeat against Barcelona on 14 May.[1]
Though Almería's form dwindled towards the end of their campaign, García finished his only senior season at the club with 18 goals and 15 assists in 40 games, having started less than half of them.[1] His 14 assists in La Liga were the most of any player in the league, while his 18 goals were the seventh-highest; he was joint runner-up in goal contributions alongside Antoine Griezmann and only behind Robert Lewandowski, while his goal contributions-to-minutes ratio was the best in the league and the most in Europe for any player under 21.[1][2] He was named La Liga U23 Player of the Season for his performances, and was later won both the 2024 Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards as the best under-21 player in the world.[1][2]
Bayer Leverkusen
[edit]On 3 July 2024, reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen announced the signing of García on a five-year contract for a club record fee of €60 million (£50.7 million), beating out a number of European clubs to his signature, including Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.[1] He was assigned the vacant number 11 shirt, which had previously been worn by Nadiem Amiri.[1]
2024–25 season: Record-breaking debut campaign
[edit]García made his debut on 18 August 2024, coming off the bench in the 2024 DFL-Supercup as Leverkusen were defeated 2–1 by Bayern Munich.[1] His Bundesliga debut came the following week on 25 August as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Hertha BSC.[1] On 31 August, his home debut at the BayArena, he came off the bench and scored two late goals in a 2–0 victory over Werder Bremen.[1] He made his first start for Leverkusen on 22 September, in a 1–0 loss to Union Berlin, and made his UEFA Champions League debut in Leverkusen's following game, starting in a 2–1 loss to Sevilla on 26 September.[1] He was awarded Bundesliga Player of the Month for November, having scored five goals and assisted once in four games, including braces against SC Freiburg and Mainz 05.[1] On 18 December, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 2–0 away win over Sevilla, which sent his team into the knockout stage of the tournament.[1] After scoring and assisting in wins against FC Augsburg, Darmstadt 98 and Borussia Mönchengladbach, he was awarded Player of the Month for December, with four goals and four assists in four games.[1][2]
García assisted twice in a 5–2 comeback victory over TSG Hoffenheim on 18 January 2025, and was man of the match in a 2–1 victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena the following week, resulting in his third consecutive Player of the Month award in January.[1][2] On 1 February, he assisted all four of Leverkusen's goals in a 4–2 win over Schalke 04, becoming the third player in Bundesliga history to complete four assists in a single game (after Szabolcs Huszti and Christopher Nkunku) and the youngest ever to do so.[1][2] He assisted in both of Leverkusen's following games, wins over Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund, and scored a late equaliser against 1. FC Köln on 29 February; for his six assists and one goal in five matches, he was awarded Player of the Month for February, becoming the first player in Bundesliga history to win the award in four consecutive months.[1][2]
After scoring in a 2–0 win against Manchester United in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, García scored and assisted in a 2–2 draw in the second leg on 11 March to send Leverkusen through to the quarter-finals.[1][2] On 5 April, he registered two goals and two assists in a 4–1 win over FC Augsburg, though was sent off in the same game; on his return to the side ten days later, he notched a hat-trick of assists in a 5–1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt.[1][2] Having assisted a Leverkusen equaliser against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-final on 15 April, he made an error that led directly to a goal for Juventus, who went on to win 4–1, though his manager Xabi Alonso defended him from criticism.[1] In the return leg on 22 April, he scored the opener and assisted Timo Werner's second goal to put Leverkusen 3–1 up, although Juventus would go on to win 4–3 (8–4 on aggregate).[1] On 27 April, he assisted Randal Kolo Muani twice in a 2–0 win over Mainz 05, breaking Thomas Müller's record of most assists in a single Bundesliga season (21). With two goals and seven assists, he was named Player of the Month for April, a record-breaking fifth of the season.[1] He won the award for a record-extending sixth time in May, with two goals and three assists.[1]
Though initially deployed by Alonso as a wing-back within a 3–4–2–1 formation, García soon began playing further forward, most prominently as part of a three-man attack with Kolo Muani and Werner.[1] While Leverkusen's title defence culminated in a fourth-placed league finish, García was named Bundesliga Player of the Season, with 17 goals and 26 assists in 31 games, the most goal contributions of any player in the league.[1] He was also named UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season and in the competition's Team of the Season, having scored four goals and assisted six times in ten games.[1][2] His 54 goal contributions (21 goals and 33 assists) in 43 games in all competitions were the most of any under-21 player in Europe.[1] He later won the 2025 Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards as the best under-21 player in the world, having won both awards in the previous season; he became the first player to win either award twice.[1][2] He additionally finished in sixth place in the 2025 Ballon d'Or.[1]
2025–26 season: Bundesliga title and second Player of the Season
[edit]García scored his first goal of the 2025–26 season in Leverkusen's second game of the campaign on 30 August, opening the scoring in a 2–1 win over RB Leipzig.[1] He scored the first hat-trick of his career in a 4–1 victory against FC Augsburg on 20 September, in which he also assisted.[1] He was later awarded with Player of the Month for September, with four goals and three assists in three games.[1] On 1 October, he scored another hat-trick in the second round of the DFB-Pokal in a 3–1 win against Preußen Münster, and scored in wins against Schalke 04 and SC Freiburg in the same month.[1][2] On 29 October, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal of the season in a 2–1 win over Marseille to continue Leverkusen's perfect start to the campaign; his goal, a powerful shot from 35 yards out into the top-left of the net, was described as a contender for the FIFA Puskás Award.[1][2] He scored and registered a hat-trick of assists in a 4–2 away win against Mainz 05 on 7 December; later that month, assisted Werner and Kolo Muani in their braces in 2–0 wins over VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach respectively.[1][2] He was subsequently awarded a record-extending eighth Player of the Month award for December, with seven assists and a goal in three games.[1]
“These past two years have been some of the most incredible of my life, and leaving this club isn’t easy. I will always remember the Bundesliga title, what a moment that was! The wins against Bayern, especially that one at the Allianz, will stay with me forever. And those magical Champions League nights — scoring that long-range goal against Marseille, the comebacks against Juventus and Sevilla — I’ll never forget any of it (...) To the fans, thank you for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel at home. To my teammates and the staff, you’ve all been amazing. And a special thanks to Xabi Alonso — you believed in me and helped me grow both as a player and a person.”
– An excerpt from García's goodbye letter to Bayer Leverkusen in 2026.[1]
On 24 January 2026, García scored a late winner in a 1–0 win over Wolfsburg to ensure Leverkusen's sixth consecutive win in a row, and was later awarded Player of the Month for January, having also assisted the sole goals in wins over VfB Stuttgart and Hoffenheim.[1][2] He assisted both of Leverkusen's goals and was named man of the match in a 2–2 draw with Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 on 24 February, though Liverpool won the reverse fixture at Anfield 4–0.[1] He scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 against VfL Bochum on 21 March, and was named Player of the Month for March, his tenth award.[1][2] On 4 April, he assisted twice and scored a late equaliser a 3–3 draw with closest title challengers RB Leipzig, and later scored and assisted in a 3–2 away win over Bayern Munich on 18 April.[1][2] He scored the sole goal against Eintracht Frankfurt on 2 May to put Leverkusen one win away from the Bundesliga title.[1] On 16 May, he assisted twice in a 3–1 win against Stuttgart that sealed the Bundesliga title for Leverkusen, and later scored the sole goal in Leverkusen's final league match of the season against Borussia Mönchengladbach.[1] In the 2026 DFB-Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt, he created two Frankfurt own goals from corner kicks (both by winger Ansgar Knauff) to put Leverkusen 1–0 and 3–2 ahead respectively; however, Frankfurt would go on to win the match 4–3 after extra time.[1]
García finished the season with 53 goal contributions in 45 games in all competitions (23 goals and 30 assists), almost matching his output from the previous season; his numbers were one of the highest of any player in Europe, and the most of any under-21 player.[1] He was named Bundesliga Player of the Season for the second season in a row, with 18 goals and 22 assists in 33 games.[1] His 22 assists were the second most in any Bundesliga season ever, behind his own tally of 26 in the previous campaign.[1] Owing to his individual form, league title win and performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he later placed third in the 2026 Ballon d'Or.[1]
Arsenal
[edit]On 11 July 2026, García was signed by Premier League club Arsenal for a £115 million (€135 million), with up to £10 million (€11.7 million) in performance related add-ons; it became Arsenal's club record transfer fee, eclipsing the £100 million fee paid for Declan Rice in 2023, as well as the highest-ever transfer fee paid by an English club (eclipsing the €121 million paid by Chelsea for Enzo Fernández), and the fourth-highest of all time.[1][2] He was assigned the number 11 shirt, replacing Gabriel Martinelli, who had expressed a desire to return to his old number of 35.[1] In his first interview, he stated his desire to end Arsenal's 23-year run without a Premier League trophy, and end Manchester City's run of six consecutive titles.[1]
2026–27 season: Domestic double, European Golden Shoe and Ballon d'Or
[edit]García made his debut for the club on 15 August 2026, assisting Bukayo Saka's late winner in a 2–1 away victory over Burnley.[1] His home debut at the Emirates Stadium came on 22 August in a 4–0 defeat by defending champions Manchester City.[1] He scored the sole goal in a 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on 30 August, his first goal for Arsenal.[1] After scoring a brace in a 3–0 win over West Ham United on 5 September, he rescued a point against Liverpool at Anfield with a late equaliser on 19 September.[1][2] On 22 September, his Champions League debut with Arsenal, he scored once and assisted twice in a 3–1 over Barcelona.[1] He scored the sole goal against Aston Villa on 26 September, and was subsequently awarded Premier League Player of the Month for September, having scored four goals in three games.[1]
“García, we all knew he was quality from his Leverkusen days, but this shift [Mikel] Arteta's made – what a masterstroke! He’s taken to it brilliantly, scoring for fun and setting the league alight. That gamble to move him from the wing to centre-forward is paying off big time. He’s got the physicality, the movement, and that clinical edge Arsenal have been crying out for. He’s just been phenomenal.”
– Alan Shearer discussing García's notable increase in goal output following his move to Arsenal on BBC Sport in 2026[1]
After a comeback brace in a 2–1 EFL Cup win over Brighton & Hove Albion on 29 September, García scored in a 3–0 away win against Crystal Palace on 2 October to ensure he had scored in seven consecutive games.[1][2] Eight days later, he scored both goals of a 2–0 win at Fulham.[1] On 7 November, he scored two goals in his debut North London derby appearance to put Arsenal 2–0 up against Tottenham Hotspur, though Antony scored two late goals to tie the match.[1] Three days later, he scored another brace in a 4–0 Champions League thrashing of Club Brugge, before scoring the winner in a 2–1 win over AFC Bournemouth on 14 November.[1][2] Following the international break, he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory against Southampton on 28 November, before two goals and an assist in a 3–1 win over Marseille on 1 December.[1][2] With five goals in three games, he won his second Player of the Month for November.[1]
García scored his first Premier League hat-trick on 8 December in a 3–1 win over Leicester City; his second goal was the 100th of his career.[1] On 19 December, he scored twice and assisted twice in a 4–0 rout of Chelsea.[1] After a brace and a goal and assist in 2–0 wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest the following week, he was awarded December Player of the Month, with eight goals and four assists in six games.[1] His goals against Wolves also made him the second-fastest player to reach 20 goals in the Premier League, doing so in 18 games (behind only Erling Haaland).[1] García continued his scoring run well into the beginning of 2027, scoring against Norwich City, Brentford, Peterborough United and Brighton & Hove Albion in January, the latter two in the FA Cup.[1][2] In the following month, he followed another winning brace against Fulham and a late winner against Crystal Palace with another brace against Brighton on 10 February to send Arsenal through to the fifth round of the FA Cup; his first goal in the match was the 100th of his club career.[1] His form slowed down somewhat after this, as he scored three goals in eight games, a run which included three Premier League losses, though he did score in both legs of the Champions League round of 16 against SK Rapid Wien to send Arsenal to the quarter-finals.[1][2]
On 21 March, García scored and assisted in a 2–0 win at Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup quarter-finals.[1] After a last-minute winner against Liverpool on 6 April, he scored and assisted in a 2–0 win at Southampton on 18 April.[1][2] He scored the opener against Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on 21 April, though Federico Chiesa later scored an equaliser to ensure Juventus went through on aggregate.[1] After scoring and assisting in a 4–0 thrashing of Newcastle United in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley Stadium three days later, he capped off April with a goal and assist in a 3–2 league win away at Manchester City; the match was billed as a "potential title decider", as the win meant Arsenal leapfrogged City as league leaders.[1] In Arsenal's final four league games in May, he scored seven goals and registered three assists as the Gunners won each game without conceding; notably, his brace in a 3–0 away win against Leicester City on the final day of the season on 21 May confirmed Arsenal as Premier League champions, and he was later named Player of the Month.[1][2] He scored a 78th-minute equaliser in the 2027 FA Cup Final against Brentford on 28 May; after the match finished 2–2 after extra time, he scored his penalty in the ensuing shootout as Arsenal triumphed.[1]
Though García had previously played as a winger or right-sided forward, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta opted to play him as a striker or centre-forward to accommodate Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on either wing; García's scoring rate shot up as a direct result.[1][2] He was instrumental in Arsenal's run to the Premier League title, their first since Arsène Wenger's Invincibles in 2003–04; he scored 35 goals and provided 11 assists in 36 games, winning the Premier League Golden Boot and being named Player of the Season, as well as sweeping a number of other awards, including the FWA Player of the Year, PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Fans' Player of the Year, and being named in the PFA Team of the Year.[1][2][3] His 35 goals were the most in Europe, winning him the European Golden Shoe and were the second-most in any Premier League season, just one behind Erling Haaland's 36 in 2022–23; meanwhile, his 46 goal involvements were a record in a 38-game season, just one behind Andy Cole and Alan Shearer's joint record of 47 in the 42-game 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons respectively.[1][2] García scored 54 goals in all competitions, breaking Haaland's 2023 record for a Premier League player of 53, as well as providing 17 assists to bring his total goal involvements to 71 in 56 games.[1] He was the top scorer of the Champions League with eight goals (and four assists) in nine games (alongside Donyell Malen in twelve games), and of the FA Cup, with eight goals in eight games.[1][2] He was named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season and in the competition's Team of the Season.[1][2] He later won the 2027 Ballon d'Or, making him the first ever Swedish player to win the award.[1]
Paris Saint-Germain
[edit]Despite Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisting García was crucial to the club's plans for the forthcoming season, García's negotiations with the club regarding an increased salary and an extension of his contract reportedly stalled.[1][2] He subsequently gave cryptic clues in interviews in June 2027 hinting at his departure, stating he had "got the job done" and fulfilled his wish of bringing the Premier League trophy back to the club.[1] He later claimed that he was forced out by Arsenal executives, though retained his love for the club and appreciation for Arteta and the club's fans, and affirmed his wish to return to the club when it was more financially viable.[1]
On 12 July, Arsenal received a €190 million (£160 million) transfer offer from European champions Paris Saint-Germain for the player, which was rejected.[1] After agreeing personal terms with García, PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi sent Arsenal a revised offer of €210 million (£177.1 million) a week later, which was subsequently accepted, making the player the second-most expensive transfer in football history, after PSG's own signing of Neymar in 2017 from Barcelona for €222 million.[1][2] He was officially unveiled in Paris on 20 July, and retained the shirt number 11.[1] In his first interview, he stated a desire to emulate the performances of fellow Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović, the club's former all-time top goalscorer.[1] At PSG, he was reunited with former Leverkusen teammate Sergej Milinković-Savić and former Spain under-21 teammates Sergio Gómez and Gabri Veiga.[1]
2027–28 season: Debut campaign
[edit]García made his debut on 30 July, starting in the 2027 Trophée des Champions against AS Monaco. In the second half, he assisted Kylian Mbappé's opener; after the match finished 1–1, García missed his penalty in the ensuing shootout, though won his first trophy at the club as PSG emerged victorious.[1] In the 2027 UEFA Super Cup against Mancester United on 10 August, he assisted both of Mbappé's goals and scored a 119th-minute winner, his first goal for the club, as PSG came from 2–0 down to win the trophy.[1] On his Ligue 1 and home debut four days later, he assisted twice in a 2–1 comeback win over Strasbourg, and registered another two assists in his following game, a 2–0 win over Nice on 21 August.[1][2] He scored his first goal at the Parc des Princes in a 1–0 victory over Club Brugge on his UEFA Champions League debut for PSG on 22 September.[1] On 26 September, he registered a hat-trick of assists in a 4–0 win over Nantes, and was later awarded UNFP Player of the Month for September, with four assists in three games.[1]
Having failed to score in his first seven Ligue 1 games, García scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 win over Le Havre on 8 October, and a brace in a 3–1 win against Clermont Foot on 20 October; he was later awarded UNFP Player of the Month for October.[1] On 24 October, he scored another hat-trick and assisted Milinković-Savić twice in a 5–1 Champions League win over Sparta Prague, and later scored and assisted in the reverse fixture on 10 November.[1] After scoring in draws with Brest and Rennes, he capped off the month with the sole goal against Manchester United in the Champions League on 26 November.[1][2] He opened December with braces against Troyes and Reims before assisting Veiga twice against Club Brugge on 14 December to seal PSG top spot in their Champions League group.[1][2] On 19 December, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 thrashing of Lille, additionally registering an assist.[1] Three days later, he scored and assisted in a 3–2 comeback win over Monaco, and was awarded Player of the Month for December with eight goals and two assists in four games.[1][2]
García netted his first goals of 2028 in a 3–2 Coupe de France win over Lyon on 8 January.[1] He scored in a 2–1 loss against Reims and a 2–0 Le Classique cup win over Marseille before ending the month with a brace in a 2–2 draw with Nice on 30 January.[1][2] On 5 February, he scored the sole goal against Strasbourg, and repeated the feat a week later against title challengers Lens.[1] On 22 February, he scored a brace and assisted in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Borussia Dortmund, though was sent off later in the game.[1] He ended February with another match-winning goal against Troyes, and was awarded UNFP Player of the Month for the fourth time.[1]
International career
[edit]Youth
[edit]García was eligible to represent either Spain or Sweden internationally.[1] Having followed his father's footsteps and played for Spain's youth teams until under-18 level, he began playing for Sweden's under-19s in 2022. However, he was selected for Spain's under-21s at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, in which they were runners-up; he scored twice at the tournament, in the group stage against Romania and in the semi-final against Ukraine.[1]
Senior
[edit]2024–2026: Debut and 2026 FIFA World Cup
[edit]On 11 March 2024, García was called up to the Sweden senior side for the team's forthcoming friendlies, and subsequently confirmed he would only be interested in representing Sweden.[1] He made his debut against Mexico on 20 March and scored the opening goal in the 91st minute, though Santiago Giménez later equalised to tie the match 1–1.[1]
García scored in a 3–1 friendly defeat to Spain on 24 March 2025; he did not celebrate his goal out of affinity to his home country.[1] In his following match four days later, he scored the opener in a 2–1 win over New Zealand, though was sent off for the first time in his career later in that game.[1] On 16 September, he scored both the opener and a last-minute winner in a 3–2 win against rivals Norway in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, his first competitive goals for his country.[1]
On 22 May 2026, he was included in Sweden's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[1] In Sweden's opening Group C game against New Zealand on 18 June, García scored a second-half brace, helping his team to a 4–1 win.[1] He scored another brace in the team's following game, a 3–3 draw with Hungary, additionally assisting Mattias Svanberg's goal.[1] In the round of 16, García assisted Alexander Isak's late goal against Mexico; however, it was not enough to prevent a 2–1 loss.[1] He was later awarded the FIFA Young Player Award for his performances, with four goals and two assists in four games.[1]
2026–present: UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying
[edit]On 15 September 2026, he scored and assisted in a 2–0 UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying win over Romania.[1] On 20 October, he assisted Svanberg's last-second equaliser against England at Wembley Stadium.[1] He scored the sole goal against Iceland on 18 November, before opening the scoring in a 3–1 defeat by England on 24 November.[1][2] On 10 September 2027, he scored twice and assisted twice in a crucial qualification clash with second-placed Croatia, which finished 4–2; he later secured Sweden's qualification to the tournament with two goals in a 2–0 victory against Iceland, and finished as the highest scorer of the group.[1][2]
Style of play
[edit]A versatile left-footed player, García began his career playing as a right-winger, the position in which he primarily played under Vicente Moreno at Almería, though he was occasionally deployed on the left.[1] Under Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, he initially played as a wing-back, before being moved to playing as a second striker or right-sided attacking midfielder behind Randal Kolo Muani or Timo Werner.[1][2] Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta shifted him to playing as a centre-forward as he did for Sweden, which saw his goal tally increase substantially.[1]
García has stated that his style of play draws inspiration from fellow left-footed wingers Arjen Robben and Gareth Bale, while his footballing hero growing up was fellow Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović.[1]
García suffers from glaucoma and, as such, previously wore protective goggles in his eyes, which has drawn him comparisons to Edgar Davids.[1]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 13 March 2028
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
 UD Almería
|
2023–24 | La Liga | 38 | 18 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 40 | 18 | |||
 Bayer Leverkusen
|
2024–25 | Bundesliga | 31 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[c] | 4 | 1[d] | 0 | 43 | 21 | |
| 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 33 | 18 | 5 | 4 | — | 7[c] | 1 | — | 45 | 23 | |||
| Total | 64 | 35 | 6 | 4 | — | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 88 | 44 | |||
 Arsenal
|
2026–27 | Premier League | 36 | 35 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 9[c] | 8 | — | 56 | 54 | |
 Paris Saint-Germain
|
2027–28 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 20 | 3 | 3 | — | 7[c] | 8 | 2[e] | 1 | 36 | 32 | |
| Career total | 162 | 108 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 33 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 220 | 150 | ||
- ^ Includes Copa del Rey, DFB-Pokal, FA Cup
- ^ Includes EFL Cup
- ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ Appearance in DFL-Supercup
- ^ One appearance in Trophée des Champions, one appearance and one goal in UEFA Super Cup
International
[edit]- As of match played 8 January 2028
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sweden
| ||||
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 11 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2027 | 7 | 6 | 2 | |
| Total | 33 | 22 | 11 | |
- As of match played 11 November 2027
- Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.[1]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 March 2024 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico | 1 |  Mexico |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 21 October 2024 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 6 |  Denmark |
2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 24 March 2025 | Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain | 9 | Spain |
1–1 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 4 | 28 March 2025 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 10 |  New Zealand |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 16 September 2025 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 11 |  Norway |
1–0 | 3–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 3–2 | ||||||
| 7 | 25 March 2026 | Kazimierz Górski National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland | 16 |  Poland |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 18 June 2026 | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States | 18 | New Zealand |
3–0 | 4–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 9 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 10 | 23 June 2026 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States | 19 |  Hungary |
1–1 | 3–3 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 11 | 3–2 | ||||||
| 12 | 15 September 2026 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 23 |  Romania |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying |
| 13 | 18 November 2026 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 25 |  Iceland |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying |
| 14 | 24 November 2026 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 26 | England |
1–0 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying |
| 15 | 30 March 2027 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 27 | Romania |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying |
| 16 | 10 September 2027 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 28 |  Croatia |
1–0 | 4–2 | UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying |
| 17 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 18 | 14 September 2027 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland | 29 | Iceland |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying |
| 19 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 20 | 12 October 2027 | Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain | 30 | Spain |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 21 | 15 October 2027 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 31 |  Georgia |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 22 | 17 November 2027 | Nationalarenan, Stockholm, Sweden | 32 |  Switzerland |
1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
Honours
[edit]Bayer Leverkusen
Arsenal
Paris Saint-Germain
Spain U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2023[1]
Individual
- Ballon d'Or: 2027
- European Golden Shoe: 2026–27[1]
- Kopa Trophy: 2024, 2025[1]
- Golden Boy: 2024, 2025[1]
- FIFA World Cup Young Player Award: 2026[1]
- UEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2026–27[1]
- UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season: 2024–25[1]
- UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2026–27
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2024–25, 2026–27[1]
- La Liga U23 Player of the Season: 2023–24[1]
- La Liga Player of the Month: September 2023, December 2023[1]
- La Liga U23 Player of the Month: September 2023, November 2023, December 2023, January 2024, February 2024[1]
- Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2024–25, 2025–26[1]
- Bundesliga Rookie of the Season: 2024–25[1]
- Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2024–25, 2025–26[1]
- Bundesliga Player of the Month: November 2024, December 2024, January 2025, February 2025, April 2025, May 2025, September 2025, December 2025, January 2026, March 2026[1]
- Premier League Player of the Season: 2026–27[1]
- Premier League Golden Boot: 2026–27[1]
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 2026–27[1]
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2026–27[1]
- PFA Team of the Year: 2026–27 Premier League[1]
- Premier League Player of the Month: September 2026, November 2026, December 2026, May 2027[1]
- FA Cup top scorer: 2026–27[1]
- UNFP Player of the Month: September 2027, October 2027, December 2027, February 2028
- UD Almería Player of the Season: 2023–24[1]
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen Player of the Season: 2024–25, 2025–26[1]
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 2026–27
- Guldbollen: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027[1]
- Swedish Sportsman of the Year: 2026, 2027
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw dx dy dz ea eb ec ed ee ef eg eh ei ej ek el em en eo ep eq er es et eu ev ew ex ey ez fa fb fc fd fe ff fg fh fi fj fk fl fm fn fo fp fq fr fs ft fu fv fw García is a player career on Profavi1's copy of EA Sports FC 24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap Second reference for variety.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Variety2was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
External links
[edit]- Profile on the U.D. Almería website
- Felix Garcia at Soccerbase