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Martín Zubimendi

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Martín Zubimendi
Zubimendi with Spain in 2026
Personal information
Full name Martín Zubimendi Ibáñez[1]
Date of birth (1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 27)[2]
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 36
Youth career
2006–2011 Antiguoko
2011–2016 Real Sociedad
2011–2013 → Antiguoko (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Real Sociedad C 26 (1)
2017–2020 Real Sociedad B 50 (4)
2019–2025 Real Sociedad 180 (9)
2025– Arsenal 44 (5)
International career‡
2016 Spain U17 1 (0)
2017 Spain U19 1 (0)
2020–2021 Spain U21 7 (0)
2021 Spain U23 6 (0)
2021– Spain 30 (3)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
FIFA World Cup
Winner2026 Canada–Mexico–US
UEFA European Championship
Winner2024 Germany
UEFA Nations League
Winner2023 Netherlands
Runner-up2025 Germany
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2020 TokyoTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:58, 24 October 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:15, 7 October 2026 (UTC)

Martín Zubimendi Ibáñez (born 2 February 1999) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the Spain national team.

Zubimendi began his career at Real Sociedad, making his first-team debut in 2019. He made over 200 appearances and won the 2019–20 Copa del Rey with the club. In July 2025, he signed for Arsenal for a reported initial fee of £55.8m.

Zubimendi made his senior debut for Spain in 2021, having previously represented them at various youth levels. He was part of Spain's victorious squads at the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals, UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Early life

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Zubimendi was born in San Sebastián.[3] He is an only child.[4] His mother is a teacher and his father is a retired university professor.[5] He attended Zurriola Ikastola [eu] in San Sebastián.[6] In addition to football, he also played chess in his youth, becoming a youth champion of Gipuzkoa at the age of 11.[7][8] He played for local football team Antiguoko in the Donosti Cup from 2006 to 2013.[9][10]

Club career

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Real Sociedad

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Zubimendi joined Real Sociedad's youth setup in 2011.[11] He made his senior debut with Real Sociedad C on 27 August 2016, playing the last seven minutes in a 0–0 Tercera División home draw against Durango.[citation needed]

On 25 July 2018, Zubimendi renewed his contract until 2022, and was definitely promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B.[12] The following 28 April, he made his first team – and La Liga – debut, coming on as a late substitute for Rubén Pardo in a 2–1 home win over Getafe.[13] On 24 July 2020, he renewed his contract with the Txuri-urdin until 2025, being definitively promoted to the main squad.[14]

On 24 February 2022, Zubimendi scored his first goal in European competitions in a 3–1 home defeat against RB Leipzig during the Europa League knockout round play-offs.[15] A month later, on 13 March, he scored his first La Liga goal in a 1–0 victory over Alavés.[16] In October, he extended his contract with the club until 2027.[17] On 20 September 2023, he made his Champions League debut in a 1–1 draw against Inter Milan.[18]

Arsenal

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On 6 July 2025, Zubimendi signed for Arsenal on a long-term contract in a deal reportedly worth around €65m (£55.8m).[19][20] On 17 August, he made his debut for the club in a 1–0 win against Manchester United in the league.[21] On 13 September, he netted his first goals by scoring a brace in a 3–0 victory over Nottingham Forest.[22] His first goal in that game would go on to win the Premier League Goal of the Month award for September 2025.[23] For his performances in September, Zubimendi was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award.[24] He concluded his debut season by winning the Premier League title, becoming only the second player after Jens Lehmann in 2003–04 to achieve the feat while featuring in every league match.[25]

International career

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Zubimendi playing for Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final

Zubimendi represented the Spain under-19s in a friendly 2–1 loss to the Portugal under-19s on 15 November 2017.[26]

Due to the isolation of some national team players following the positive COVID-19 test of Sergio Busquets, Spain's under-21 squad were called up for the international friendly against Lithuania on 8 June 2021.[27] Zubimendi made his senior debut in the match.[28]

On 7 June 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[29] On 15 June, he made his first appearance in the Euros against Croatia as a substitute. He went on to play the full match against Albania on 24 June, and came off the bench in both the semi-final victory over France on 9 July and in the final against England on 14 July as Spain won the tournament.[30]

On 25 May 2026, Zubimendi was named in Spain's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[31] He had limited involvement in the tournament with Pedri, Dani Olmo, Fabián Ruiz and Rodri preferred for the midfield places, but came on as a substitute for Rodri in extra time of the final as Spain defeated Argentina to win the trophy.[32]

Style of play

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Zubimendi's versatile style of play draws comparisons to renowned players, notably Sergio Busquets. He showcases composure and control, guiding plays and adjusting the game's tempo. His role involves initiating plays from deep positions, displaying precise decision-making. Zubimendi's aptitude for receiving passes and creating space is reminiscent of Busquets, reflecting a deep understanding of the game and the art of crafting opportunities. Additionally, his technical abilities, including dribbling and deep runs, align with top midfielders, while his ball retention in tight spaces mirrors qualities seen in players like Xabi Alonso and David Silva.[10][33][34]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 27 October 2026[35]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Sociedad B 2016–17 Segunda División B 30————30
2017–18 Segunda División B 20————20
2018–19 Segunda División B 201————201
2019–20 Segunda División B 253————253
Total 504————504
Real Sociedad 2018–19 La Liga 1000———10
2019–20 La Liga 901[c]0———100
2020–21 La Liga 31020—7[d]01[e]0410
2021–22 La Liga 36240—7[d]1—473
2022–23 La Liga 36140—4[d]0—441
2023–24 La Liga 31460—8[f]0—454
2024–25 La Liga 36240—8[d]0—482
Total 1809210—3411023610
Arsenal 2025–26 Premier League 385303113[f]0—576
2026–27 Premier League 6000201[f]01[g]0100
Total 445305114010676
Career total 27418240514812035320
  1. ↑ Includes Copa del Rey, FA Cup
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ↑ Appearance in 2020 Copa del Rey final (played in 2021)
  4. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ↑ Appearance in Supercopa de España
  6. 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  7. ↑ Appearance in FA Community Shield

International

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As of match played 6 October 2026[36]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 202110
202200
202330
2024111
202592
202660
Total303
As of match played 19 July 2026
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zubimendi goal.
List of international goals scored by Martín Zubimendi
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
112 October 2024Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain13 Denmark1–01–02024–25 UEFA Nations League A
28 June 2025Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany19 Portugal1–02–2 (a.e.t.)
(3–5 p)		2025 UEFA Nations League Finals
315 November 2025Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia24 Georgia2–04–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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Real Sociedad

Arsenal

Spain U23

Spain

Individual

References

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  1. ↑ "Squad List: Men's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020: Spain (ESP)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 July 2021. p. 16. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Martín Zubimendi". Real Sociedad. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  3. ↑ Corrigan, Dermot (21 July 2025). "Martin Zubimendi: The coach's midfielder and a 'complete' player". The Athletic. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  4. ↑ Castelao, Eduardo J. (9 October 2025). "Martín Zubimendi: "Algunas entrevistas me han provocado momentos incómodos, por eso a veces prefiero evitarlas"". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier (4 July 2024). "Martín Zubimendi: "De niño quería parecerme a Xabi Alonso"". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  6. ↑ Parra, Pablo (14 November 2025). "El exprofesor de ajedrez de Zubimendi revela su secreto mejor guardado: "Veía antes que nadie lo que iba a pasar"". Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  7. ↑ Asprón, Javier (3 November 2023). "Zubimendi no quiso ser Busquets". Diario ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Romero, Abraham P. (25 February 2025). "Zubimendi, el cerebro del ajedrez y del balón por el que suspira media Europa: el "no" al Liverpool, su "ídolo" Xabi, el interés del Madrid..." El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ten players who will play in the upcoming Cup finals at La Cartuja have in common having participated in the Donosti Cup!". Donosti Cup. 7 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 Lowe, Sid (8 September 2022). "Real Sociedad's Martín Zubimendi: 'Xabi Alonso is an idol, a role model'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Zubimendi llega para quedarse" [Zubimendi arrives to stay] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "La Real renueva a Martín Zubimendi hasta 2022" [Real renew Martín Zubimendi until 2022] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "La Real respira y complica la Champions al Getafe" [Real breathe and complicate Getafe's Champions place] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "Until 2025". Real Sociedad. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  15. ↑ "Un sueño que se esfuma" (in Spanish). Marca. 24 February 2022.
  16. ↑ "La Real record another victory". Real Sociedad. 13 March 2022.
  17. ↑ "Real Sociedad confirm Martin Zubimendi extension until 2027". Football España. 15 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Real Sociedad midfielder Zubimendi: So proud to play Champions League in my hometown". Tribal Football. 20 September 2023.
  19. ↑ "Martin Zubimendi signs for Arsenal". Arsenal F.C. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  20. ↑ de Roché, Art; Millar, Colin. "Arsenal confirm Martin Zubimendi signing from Real Sociedad". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  21. ↑ "Calafiori strikes after goalkeeper's error as Arsenal grind to win at Manchester United". 17 August 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  22. ↑ Hytner, David (13 September 2025). "Martín Zubimendi's zest a bitter pill for Postecoglou as Arsenal batter Forest". The Guardian.
  23. ↑ "Zubimendi wins Guinness Goal of the Month". Premier League. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  24. ↑ "Help Martín Zubimendi win PL Player of the Month". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  25. ↑ Wright, Nick (24 May 2026). "Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal: Champions finish historic season on a high thanks to Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke goals". Sky Sports.
  26. ↑ Ripoll, Cristina (15 November 2017). "España Sub-19 ofrece una buena imagen ante Portugal" [Spain under-19 offer a good image against Portugal] (in Spanish). Fútbol Juvenil. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  27. ↑ "Oficial | Lista de convocados para el encuentro ante Lituania" [Official | Squad list for the match against Lithuania]. Royal Spanish Football Federation (in Spanish). 6 June 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  28. ↑ "Spain youngsters impress in Lithuania rout". MARCA. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  29. ↑ "Official | Final Spain squad for the Euro 2024 finals". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  30. ↑ "Spain 2–1 England: Late Oyarzabal winner earns La Roja record fourth EURO crown". UEFA. 14 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  31. ↑ "Yamal, Rodri and Cucurella in strong Spain squad". 25 May 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  32. ↑ Spain 1–0 Argentina, Phil McNulty, BBC Sport, 19 July 2026
  33. ↑ Kemp, Jamie (14 October 2022). "Martín Zubimendi: The Real Sociedad Midfielder Finding Stardom in Simplicity". The Analyst.
  34. ↑ Harris, Thom (13 June 2023). "Martin Zubimendi is the Gen-Z Sergio Busquets at the heart of Real Sociedad's midfield". The Athletic.
  35. ↑ Martín Zubimendi at BDFutbol
  36. ↑ "Martín Zubimendi". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  37. ↑ "Athletic Club 0–1 Real Sociedad: result, summary, goal". AS.com. 4 April 2021. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  38. ↑ Lowe, Sid (3 April 2021). "Real Sociedad beat Athletic to claim Copa del Rey and Basque glory". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  39. ↑ Aarons, Ed (19 May 2026). "Arsenal crowned Premier League champions after Manchester City draw". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  40. ↑ Rogers, Jonathon (16 August 2026). "Report: Arsenal 3–0 Manchester City". Arsenal F.C.
  41. ↑ McNulty, Phil. "Carabao Cup final: Nico O'Reilly double helps Man City beat Arsenal at Wembley". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  42. ↑ "Paris vs Arsenal". UEFA. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "Brazil edge Spain in men's Olympic football final thanks to Malcom's magic". The Guardian. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  44. ↑ Smyth, Rob (19 July 2026). "Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the 2026 World Cup – live". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  45. ↑ UEFA.com. "Spain 2–1 England | UEFA EURO 2024 Final". UEFA.com. UEFA. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  46. ↑ Smith, Emma (18 June 2023). "Spain win Nations League final on penalties". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  47. ↑ "Portugal vs Spain – UEFA Nations League Final 2025". UEFA.com. UEFA. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  48. ↑ Peat, Charlie (8 October 2025). "Zubimendi wins Emirates Goal of the Month". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  49. ↑ "Zubimendi wins Guinness Goal of the Month". Premier League. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
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