Joan García


Joan García Pons is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Barcelona.
An Espanyol youth graduate, García broke into the first team in 2021 and eventually established himself as a first-choice in 2024. In June 2025, he moved to Barcelona after the club activated his release clause.

Club career

Espanyol

Born in Sallent, Barcelona, Catalonia, García began his career with hometown side at the age of four; initially an outfield player, he was influenced by his older brother to move to goal. He subsequently represented Manresa and Damm before joining the youth sides of Espanyol in 2016, aged 15.

Beginnings and debut

García made his senior debut with the reserves on 28 September 2019, starting in a 1–1 Segunda División B away draw against Valencia Mestalla. On 11 February 2020, he renewed with the Pericos until 2025.
García made his first-team debut on 1 December 2021, starting in a 3–2 away win over Solares-Medio Cudeyo in the season's Copa del Rey. He made his professional – and La Liga – debut on 10 January 2022, starting in a 1–2 home loss against Elche.

2022–2024: First team and breakthrough

After goalkeeper Oier Olazábal departed the club on 29 June 2022, García was handed the number one shirt in the 2022–23 campaign, moving from his previous number 34. Over the season, he served as a back-up in La Liga, featuring in three Copa del Rey matches. On 4 June 2023, the final day of the league campaign, García started in a 3–3 La Liga home draw against Almería, although Espanyol had been relegated to the Second Division before the game. He ended the season with 4 appearances and 1 clean sheet.
On 16 November 2023, Espanyol announced that the club and García had reached an agreement to extend his contract until 30 June 2028. In March 2024, he became the first-choice goalkeeper for the Pericos in the Second Division. García finished the 2023–24 campaign with 21 appearances and 12 clean sheets, helping Espanyol secure promotion back to La Liga via the play-offs. After winning the club's Player of the Month award in three consecutive months from March to May 2024, García was voted by Espanyol supporters as the club's Male Player of the Season.

2024–2025: First-choice status and La Liga

García continued as a starter in La Liga matches during the 2024–25 campaign. On 28 August 2024, he made seven saves to keep his first La Liga clean sheet in a 0–0 away draw against Atlético Madrid. Three days later, he helped Espanyol record their first La Liga victory of the campaign, a 2–1 home win against Rayo Vallecano. On 21 September, García made ten saves but it was not enough, as his side were defeated 4–1 by Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. In an away game against Real Betis on 29 September, he produced ten saves again, including a penalty stop, but could not prevent a third consecutive loss for the Pericos.
On 3 November, García played in his first Barcelona derby and made six saves, as Espanyol were beaten 3–1 by their local rivals Barcelona at the Barcelona Olympic Stadium. In another Catalan derby on 23 November, he could not stop Girona from scoring four goals in the first 30 minutes, and the Pericos ultimately lost 4–1 at the Estadi Montilivi. On 14 December, García recorded his first La Liga clean sheet at home without making a save in a goalless draw against Osasuna. After suffering their eleventh defeat in eighteen league encounters this season, Espanyol headed into the winter break in eighteenth place in La Liga, just three points off the bottom of the table.
On 1 February 2025, García produced a man of the match display with seven saves, helping Espanyol beat league leaders Real Madrid 1–0 at the RCDE Stadium, and recording his third clean sheet of the campaign. In an away game against Real Sociedad on 9 February, he made a foot save to deny Luka Sučić, which would later win the La Liga Save of the Month award for February. In a 1–0 victory at Alavés on 22 February, García produced four saves, helping the Pericos end their long wait for a first La Liga away win of the season.
On 10 March, García made a crucial stop to keep out Yangel Herrera's first-time volley in a home match against Girona that earned him the second La Liga Save of the Month award for March. By achieving the honour, he became the first player to have won the award in consecutive months. In an away game against Mallorca on 15 March, García saved two penalty kicks from Vedat Muriqi and Abdón Prats, but the latter's was retaken after VAR deemed that an Espanyol player had entered the box prematurely, and Mallorca ultimately won 2–1 by beating García from the penalty spot on the third attempt. On 4 April, García kept his fifth clean sheet of the season with five saves in a 4–0 away triumph over Rayo Vallecano. By the end of the 2024–25 La Liga season, García recorded the highest number of saves among all goalkeepers in the league.

Barcelona

On 18 June 2025, Espanyol announced the player's departure after activating his €25 million plus taxes release clause. Subsequently, Barcelona announced his signing on a six-year contract until 2031.
On 27 July 2025, Garcia made his unofficial Barça debut in which he started in a 3-1 friendly win against Vissel Kobe.
On 31 August 2025, in just his third start for Barcelona, a 1–1 draw against Rayo Vallecano, García made 5 crucial saves, including a notable cutback save from Rayo player Andrei Rațiu. Though Rayo eventually equalized through Fran Pérez, García was praised by Barcelona fans for his saves and earned his first MVP of the Match for Barcelona.
On 18 September 2025, García made his UEFA Champions League debut for Barcelona in a 2–1 win over Newcastle United, starting in goal, and playing the full 90 minutes.
Eight days later on 26 September 2025, after featuring for the entire 90 minutes in FC Barcelona's 3–1 win over Real Oviedo in La Liga, Garcia was diagonsed with a tear in the meniscus of his left knee. He subsequently underwent surgery, and was given a recovery time of four to six weeks. García returned from injury on 22 November 2025, coinciding with Barcelona's return to the Camp Nou, starting in the club’s 4–0 La Liga win over Athletic Club following his recovery from knee surgery.
On 3 January 2026, Joan Garcia faced his former club, RCD Espanyol. Prior to the match, reports suggested that the fixture could present a hostile atmosphere for Garcia, leading the club to implement additional security measures to ensure his safety.The game ended in an 2-0 victory for Barcelona with Garcia playing a crucial part by making 6 saves, which led to him winning his second La Liga MVP of the Match award for Barcelona while also getting praised by Barcelona Manager Hansi Flick.

International career

García is a youth international for Spain, having represented the Spain U17s, U18, U19s, and U21s. 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.

Honours

Barcelona
Spain U23
Individual