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Marco Asensio

Spanish footballer (born 1996) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marco Asensio
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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Asensio and the second or maternal family name is Willemsen.

Marco Asensio Willemsen (Spanish: [ˈmaɾko aˈsensjo]; born 21 January 1996) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the Spain national team.

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After starting his career with Mallorca, Asensio signed for Real Madrid in November 2014, being consecutively loaned to his former club as well as Espanyol. With Real Madrid, he went on to win several honours, including three Champions League and three La Liga trophies. In 2023, he joined French club Paris Saint-Germain. Following a one-season loan stint in Premier League with Aston Villa, in 2025 Asensio moved to Fenerbahçe.

Asensio made his senior debut for Spain in 2016, representing them at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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Early life

Born in Palma, Majorca, Balearic Islands, to a Dutch mother and a Spanish father,[4][5] Asensio joined Mallorca in 2006 from Platges de Calvià. His mother, Maria Willemsen, died of cancer when he was 15.[6]

Asensio struggled with growth deficiencies in his knees during his youth, which only subsided when he was a teenager.[7]

Club career

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Mallorca

After being scouted by Real Madrid and Barcelona,[8] Asensio made his senior debut with Mallorca's reserves in the 2013–14 season in the Tercera División, despite still being a junior; he made his first competitive appearance for the first team on 27 October 2013, playing the last six minutes in a 1–3 away loss against Recreativo de Huelva in the Segunda División.[9]

Again from the bench, Asensio played the last six minutes in a 0–0 home draw against Lugo.[10] After impressing in his first games, he was promoted to the first team by manager José Luis Oltra.[11]

Asensio scored his first professional goal on 16 March 2014, netting the first in a 2–0 home win over Tenerife.[12] The next season he was made a starter under new coach Valeri Karpin,[13] scoring against Osasuna,[14] Deportivo Alavés[15] and Llagostera within a month.[16]

Real Madrid

On 24 November 2014, Real Madrid reached an agreement in principle to sign 18-year-old Asensio.[17] On 5 December the deal was officially announced, with the player (who had been a supporter of the club as a child)[5] signing a six-year deal for a €3.9 million fee[18] and remaining with the Bermellones on loan until the end of the campaign.[19][20] According to Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal played a crucial role in the transfer of Marco Asensio to Real Madrid.[21]

2015–16: Loan to Espanyol

On 20 August 2015, after making the whole pre-season with Real Madrid, Asensio was loaned to Espanyol in La Liga.[22] He played his first game in the competition on 19 September, featuring 86 minutes in a 3–2 success at Real Sociedad,[23] and he ended his spell at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with 12 overall assists.[24][25]

2016–17 season: Return to Real Madrid

Returning to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium for 2016–17, Asensio was now a full international. His first competitive appearance took place on 9 August, as he played the full 120 minutes and scored a 25-meter effort in a 3–2 win against fellow Spaniards Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.[26] He made his first league start 12 days later, netting the second goal in a 3–0 success at Real Sociedad.[27]

Asensio featured 23 times over his first season, scoring three times[28][29] as the club won the national championship for the first time since 2012.[30][31] He added as many goals in that year's UEFA Champions League,[32][33] including one in the final against Juventus (4–1) to give the Spaniards their 12th title in the latter competition.[34]

2017–18 season

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Asensio playing for Real Madrid against Juventus in 2018

Asensio scored his first goal of the 2017–18 season with a 25-yard finish in a 3–1 win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou, for the Supercopa de España,[35] He repeated the feat with a similarly spectacular effort in the second leg, in a 5–1 aggregate triumph.[36]

On 28 September 2017, Asensio extended his contract until 2023.[37] On 18 February 2018, in a match where he contributed with a brace to a 5–3 away win over Real Betis, he scored Real Madrid's 6,000th goal in the Spanish top division.[38]

Asensio made 11 appearances while scoring one goal during the 2017–18 Champions League,[39] and the club won its third consecutive and 13th overall title in the competition.[40]

2019–2023: Final seasons

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Asensio in trophy presentation ceremony at Virgin of Almudena in 2022

On 24 July 2019, during a preseason match against Arsenal, he tore his ACL.[41] On 19 June 2020, in a 3–0 win over Valencia, he came on for Federico Valverde in 74th minute, scored the second goal with his first touch, and provided the assist to Karim Benzema for the third goal.[42] He returned for the final stretch of the season, scoring three goals in nine games, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga.[43]

On 22 September 2021, he scored his first senior hat-trick against his former club Mallorca, which ended in a 6–1 victory.[44]

On 28 May 2022, Asensio was on the bench against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League Final as Real Madrid went on to win their 14th UEFA Champions League title.[45] Asensio ended the 2021–22 season with 10 goals in 30 La Liga games. He also won the 2021–22 La Liga with his club Real Madrid.[46]

On 3 June 2023, Real Madrid confirmed that Asensio would be departing upon the expiry of his contract, thus becoming a free agent.[47]

Paris Saint-Germain

On 6 July 2023, Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) announced the signing of Asensio, with a contract running until June 2026.[48] He made his debut in a 0–0 draw against Lorient at the Parc des Princes on 12 August.[49] Two weeks later, in his second match for the club, Asensio scored his first PSG goal, the opener in a 3–1 home win over Lens.[50] In the following match away to Lyon on 3 September, he scored another goal and provided the assist for Kylian Mbappé's second in a 4–1 victory for Les Parisiens.[51]

Loan to Aston Villa

On 3 February 2025, Premier League side Aston Villa announced the loan signing of Asensio until the end of the season.[52] He made his debut on 9 February, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 FA Cup victory against Tottenham Hotspur.[53] On 22 February 2025, he scored his first two goals for Villa to give them a 2–1 comeback win over Chelsea in the league.[54]

Fenerbahçe

On 1 September 2025, Asensio signed for Turkish Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe on a three-year contract with option for a further year.[55] A transfer fee of €8.5 million was reported in the media.[56]

On 14 September 2025, he made his debut with the team in a 1-0 Süper Lig victory against Trabzonspor.[57] On 21 September 2025, he scored his first goal against Kasımpaşa in a Süper Lig match.[58]

On 24 September 2025, he made his UEFA Europa League debut against Dinamo Zagreb.[59]

On 2 November 2025, he scored his first Turkish derby goal for Fenerbahçe against arch rival Beşiktaş in a 2-3 Süper Lig away victory.[60]

On 23 November 2025, he scored a double for the first time in his Fenerbahçe career against Çaykur Rizespor, in a 2-5 league win.[61]He scored in five consecutive matches, a first in his career.[62]

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International career

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Asensio during a 2017 European Under-21 Championship match against Portugal

Being of both Dutch and Spanish descent, he chose to represent Spain although he received an invitation from the Royal Dutch Football Association.[63] After being a regular for Spain at youth level, Asensio made his debut for the under-21 team on 26 March 2015, coming on as a late substitute for goalscorer Gerard Deulofeu in a 2–0 friendly win over Norway in Cartagena.[64] In July, he was part of the victorious under-19 side at the UEFA European Championship in Greece, where he scored both goals in a semi-final victory over France in Katerini, in the 88th minute and in added time.[65]

On 17 May 2016, Asensio and Espanyol teammate Pau López were called up to the full side for a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.[66] The 20-year-old made his debut on the 29th, starting in the 3–1 win in Switzerland.[67]

Selected in the squad for the 2017 European Under-21 Championship by manager Albert Celades, Asensio scored a hat-trick in his debut in the competition, helping to a 5–0 group stage routing of Macedonia.[68] He reached with his teammates the final of the tournament, losing 1–0 against Germany.

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Asensio playing for Spain in 2018 FIFA World Cup against Russia

Back with the seniors, he was included in Julen Lopetegui's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup,[69] making his debut in the competition on 20 June by replacing Real Madrid teammate Lucas Vázquez for the final ten minutes of the 1–0 group stage win against Iran.[70]

Asensio scored his first goal for Spain on 11 September 2018, playing the entire 6–0 home rout of Croatia for the UEFA Nations League and also being directly involved in the play that led to Lovre Kalinić's own goal.[71]

In July 2021, he was included as overage player in the 22-player squad of the under-23 team for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[72][73]

In November 2022, Asensio was included in Spain's final 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup. He started against Costa Rica in the opening fixture of Spain's World Cup campaign, and scored the second goal against Costa Rica which Spain won 7–0.[74]

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Personal life

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Asensio's wife Sandra Garal in 2024

Asensio's father, Gilberto (a Basque who spent his childhood in Essen, Germany), was also a footballer.[5] Also an attacking midfielder, he represented Barakaldo CF as a youth;[5] Marco's elder brother Igor played for Platges de Calvià, as a defender.[75]

Asensio's goal celebration in the 2017 Champions League final was dedicated to his family: "I told them that if I scored then I'd run to where they were. I knew where they were and that is what I did."[76]

Asensio married his long-time girlfriend Sandra Garal on 10 July 2023.[77][78]

In June 2024, Asensio and Garal announced on their respective social media confirming a mutual agreement to divorce.[79]

Asensio holds dual Spanish–Dutch citizenship[80] and is multilingual, being a native speaker of both Spanish and Dutch while also speaking fluent German, English and Catalan.[81]

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Career statistics

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Club

As of match played 23 December 2025
More information Club, Season ...
  1. [a]
    Includes Copa del Rey, Coupe de France, FA Cup
  2. [b]
    Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  3. [c]
    Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
  4. [d]
    One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances and two goals in Supercopa de España, one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
  5. [e]
    One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
  6. [f]
    Appearance in Supercopa de España
  7. [g]
    Two appearances in Supercopa de España, one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
  8. [h]
    Appearance in Trophée des Champions
  9. [i]
    Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 8 September 2023[83]
More information National team, Year ...
As of match played 18 June 2023

Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Asensio goal.[83]

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Honours

Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain

Spain U19

Spain U21

Spain Olympic

Spain

Individual

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References

External links

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