Nico González (footballer, born 2002) (original) (raw)

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Spanish footballer

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is González and the second or maternal family name is Iglesias.

Nico González

González playing for Barcelona in 2021
Personal information
Full name Nicolás González Iglesias[1]
Date of birth (2002-01-03) 3 January 2002 (age 22)[2]
Place of birth A Coruña, Spain[1]
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team Porto
Number 16
Youth career
2009–2013 Montañeros
2013–2020 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2022 Barcelona B 26 (0)
2021–2023 Barcelona 27 (2)
2022–2023 → Valencia (loan) 26 (1)
2023– Porto 40 (6)
International career‡
2018–2019 Spain U17 8 (0)
2021– Spain U21 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:53, 24 August 2024 (UTC)‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:59, 16 October 2024 (UTC)

Nicolás González Iglesias (born 3 January 2002), sometimes known as just Nico, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club Porto.

Nico was born in A Coruña, Galicia, and started his career with local side Montañeros at the age of seven. In December 2012, he agreed to a move to Barcelona, effective as of the following July.[3]

On 19 May 2019, aged just 17, Nico made his senior debut for the reserves, coming on as a late substitute for Kike Saverio in a 2–1 Segunda División B away loss against Castellón.[4] In the 2020–21 season, he was initially a member of the Juvenil A before starting to feature regularly for the B-team from November 2020 onwards.

On 12 May 2021, Nico renewed his contract until 2024, with a €500 million buyout clause.[5] After featuring in the main squad during the pre-season, he made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 15 August, replacing Sergio Busquets in the opening game of the 2021–22 La Liga season, a 4–2 win over Real Sociedad.[6][7]

Nico scored his first professional goal on 12 December 2021, netting the opener in a 2–2 away draw against Osasuna.[8]

On 13 August 2022, Nico renewed his contract until 2026, and later signed with Valencia on a season-long loan.[9]

On 29 July 2023, Nico signed a five-year contract with Primeira Liga club FC Porto, for a reported fee of €8.5 million, with Barcelona having a buy-back clause.[10][11]

He made his debut for the Portuguese side on 14 August, coming off the bench to replace Romário Baró in the 70th minute of a 2–1 win away at Moreirense, in the Primeira Liga.[12] One week later, Nico made his first start for Porto, in a 2–1 home win over Farense.[13]

He is the son of former Spanish footballer and Deportivo La Coruña legend Fran González and the nephew of José Ramón.[14]

As of match played 21 December 2024[15]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2018–19 Segunda División B 1 0 — — — — 1 0
2019–20 Segunda División B 0 0 — — — 0 0 0 0
2020–21 Segunda División B 23 0 — — — 1[a] 0 24 0
2021–22 Primera División RFEF 2 0 — — — 0 0 2 0
Total 26 0 — — — 1 0 27 0
Barcelona 2021–22 La Liga 27 2 2 0 — 7[b] 0 1[c] 0 37 2
Valencia (loan) 2022–23 La Liga 26 1 0 0 — — 0 0 26 1
Porto 2023–24 Primeira Liga 25 2 7 0 1 0 6[d] 0 0 0 39 2
2024–25 Primeira Liga 15 4 2 0 1 0 5[e] 0 1[f] 1 24 5
Total 40 6 9 0 2 0 11 0 1 1 63 7
Career total 120 9 11 0 2 0 18 0 3 1 153 10
  1. ^ Appearance(s) in Segunda División B play-offs
  2. ^ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
  4. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

Porto

  1. ^ a b Nico González at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b "Nico González". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Nicolás, rumbo a La Masía" [Nicolás, towards La Masía] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Nico, el hijo de Fran, debuta con el Barça B" [Nico, the son of Fran, debuts with Barça B] (in Spanish). Sport. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Nico González renews through to 2024". FC Barcelona. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Braithwaite 9/10, De Jong and Depay 8/10 as Barcelona win to begin post-Messi era". ESPN.com. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Nico and Gavi, latest Masía debutants". FC Barcelona. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Nico and Ez Abde score first goals for FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Nico renews contract to 2026, loaned to Valencia". FC Barcelona. 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Nico González é Dragão até 2028". FC Porto (in Portuguese). 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Agreement for the transfer of Nico to Porto". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Moreirense ainda assustou, mas o FC Porto deu a volta em sete minutos" [Moreirense still scared, but FC Porto turned it around in seven minutes] (in European Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Marcano, goleador dos últimos minutos. FC Porto vence Farense na compensação" [Marcano, last-minute goalscorer. FC Porto beats Farense in extra-time]. TSF (in European Portuguese). 20 August 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  14. ^ "El Barça atará al hijo de Fran" [Barça will tie the son of Fran down]. as.com (in Spanish). 15 April 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  15. ^ Nico González at Soccerway
  16. ^ "Taça de Portugal. Sérgio Conceição é o terceiro treinador a vencer quatro finais" [Portugal Cup. Sérgio Conceição is the third manager to win four finals] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Porto pull off stunning comeback to beat Sporting in seven-goal Super Taça thriller". PortuGOAL. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.