Fermín López


Fermín López Marín is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Known for his off the ball press, clinical goal scoring and technical skills, he is regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.
IG _ferminlopez

Club career

Early career

Born in El Campillo, Huelva, Andalusia, López began playing football with his local club El Campillo, and followed that with a stint at Recreativo before moving to Real Betis in 2012. In the summer of 2016, he moved to the youth academy of Barcelona.

Barcelona

2022–23 season: Loan to Linares

On 19 August 2022, López signed a professional contract with Barcelona Atlètic for two years until 2024, and immediately went on loan with Linares in the Primera Federación for the 2022–23 season. He made his senior debut nine days later, starting in a 2–0 home win over Mérida.
López scored his first senior goal on 30 October 2022, in a 2–1 away success over Rayo Majadahonda. He finished the campaign with 12 goals in 40 appearances overall, being an undisputed starter for Linares.

2023–24 season: First team debut

After strong performances in training with Barcelona before the preseason, López was called up to their senior preseason squad in July 2023. He received international recognition after a strong performance for Barcelona, as he scored a goal and provided an assist in a friendly 3–0 win over their rivals Real Madrid on 29 July 2023. After the game, Xavi confirmed that López was to stay with their senior side for the 2023–24 season.
On 27 August 2023, López made his La Liga debut for Barcelona in a 4–3 away win over Villarreal. Two days later, he signed a new contract at the club until 30 June 2027, with a buyout clause of €400 million. The following 10 September, Fermin would make his official debut with Barça Atlètic after receiving Xavi's permission to play for them. He was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in a 1–0 away loss to Gimnàstic de Tarragona. López would later return to the first team setup and made his UEFA Champions League debut on 19 September, coming off the bench to replace Gavi in the 58th minute of a 5–0 home victory over Royal Antwerp in the competition's [2023–24 UEFA 2025–26 UEFA Champions League|Champions League group stage|group stage]. A week later, in an away match against Mallorca, he scored his first goal for Barcelona and first La Liga goal: after coming on as a substitute on the 64th minute, with Barça losing 2–1, he scored a 75th-minute equalizer, setting the final score at 2–2.
On 25 October 2023, López scored a goal on his first start in the Champions League in a 2–1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, in which he was also named player of the match.

2024–25 season: Contract extension and domestic treble

On 31 October 2024, López extended his contract with Barcelona until 2029. On 15 May 2025, he netted a goal in a 2–0 away win over Espanyol, securing his team's La Liga title. Having already won the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España, he capped off a historic domestic treble with his club.

2025–26 season

On 21 October 2025, López netted his first career hat-trick in a 6–1 victory over Olympiacos in the Champions League, becoming the first Spanish player to do so for the club since Pichi Alonso in 1986. In January 2026, he signed a contract extension with Barcelona until 2031.

International career

On 6 October 2023, López was called up to the Spain under-21 squad; he later made his debut on 13 October in a 0–0 draw against the Uzbekistan under-23 team. He then went on to score his first goal for the team in a 4–0 away win over Kazakhstan in a qualifying match for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship on 17 October.
On 27 May 2024, López was selected in the Spanish senior 29-man preliminary squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. On 5 June, he debuted in a 5–0 friendly victory against Andorra at the Estadio Nuevo Vivero in Badajoz, coming on as a substitute to Barcelona teammate Pedri in the 62nd minute and assisting on the last goal of the game by another Barcelona player Ferran Torres.
In May 2024, López was named in Spain's 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. The team would go on to win the tournament, with López being a largely unused substitute. In July 2024, he was selected in the Spain under-23 squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He and Spain would go on to win the Olympic gold medal at the men's football event in the Olympics. López scored 6 goals and became second best goalscorer of the tournament. He along with his teammate Álex Baena became only the second and third players ever to win the UEFA European Championship and the Summer Olympic gold medal in the same year, after the French goalkeeper Albert Rust.

Style of play

López is an ambipedal central midfielder, with the versatility to play as an attacking midfielder. He has been described as technically proficient with great movement off the ball, adept at exploiting space, and productive with goals and assists. He is known for his powerful long-range shots, close control and high work-rate.

Honours

Barcelona
Spain U23
Spain