Ignacio "Iñaki" Peña Sotorres (born 2 March 1999) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Barcelona.

Iñaki Peña
Peña with Barcelona in 2019
Personal information
Full name Ignacio Peña Sotorres
Date of birth (1999-03-02) 2 March 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Alicante, Spain
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Barcelona
Number 13
Youth career
2004–2009 Alicante
2009–2012 Villarreal
2012–2018 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Barcelona B 59 (0)
2022– Barcelona 21 (0)
2022Galatasaray (loan) 6 (0)
International career
2014–2015 Spain U16 3 (0)
2015–2016 Spain U17 18 (0)
2017 Spain U18 2 (0)
2017–2018 Spain U19 6 (0)
2020 Spain U21 1 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Runner-up 2016 Azerbaijan Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 November 2024

Club career

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Barcelona

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Born in Alicante, Valencian Community, Peña started his career at Alicante CF's youth setup in 2004, aged just five.[2] In 2012, at the age of 13, he joined FC Barcelona from Villarreal CF.[3] He was in the team that won the 2017–18 UEFA Youth League, being a starter in the final against Chelsea.[4]

On 16 April 2018, Peña renewed his contract with Barça for three seasons, with an option for a further two.[5] He was later promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B ahead of the 2018–19 season,[6] and made his senior debut on 6 October 2018 by starting in a 1–1 home draw against CD Atlético Baleares.[7]

On 30 October 2018, Peña was called up to the main squad for the first leg of round of 32 tie with Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey as a backup to Jasper Cillessen,[8] being an unused substitute in the 1–0 away win.[9] He also appeared on the bench for some occasions during the season when Cillessen and starter Marc-André ter Stegen were out injured.[10][11]

Peña once again featured on the bench for the main squad during the 2019–20 campaign, to cover for Neto's absence due to injury.[12] On 6 October 2020, Barcelona exercised the option on Peña's contract to extend it for a further two years.[13]

Loan to Galatasaray

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On 31 January 2022, Peña joined Galatasaray on loan for the remainder of the season.[14] He made his professional debut in the Süper Lig on 6 February in a 1–1 draw at Alanyaspor under former Barcelona assistant Domènec Torrent,[15] He had a record of two draws and as many wins before club icon Fernando Muslera began his return from injury;[16] by the second half of March, after elimination from the UEFA Europa League by Barcelona, the Uruguayan won his place back.[17]

Return to Barcelona

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Peña returned to Barcelona as his loan deal expired, and made his official first team debut under manager Xavi in a 4–2 away win over Viktoria Plzeň in the UEFA Champions League on 1 November 2022.[18]

On 3 January 2023, Peña was registered as a first team player, and was handed the number 13 shirt left vacant by Neto, who had left for AFC Bournemouth.[19]

On 9 May 2023, Peña signed a contract extension with Barcelona, keeping him at the club until 2026. The new contract included a buyout clause of 400 million euros.[20]

Near the end of the season, Peña played against Real Valladolid and Celta Vigo, where he played a total of approximately 72 minutes of match time, after coming on for Marc-André ter Stegen at Valladolid at half time, and coming on at Celta at 63 minutes. He conceded 2 goals in 2 appearances.

On 26 October 2024, Peña held a clean sheet against Real Madrid in a 4–0 win, drawing praise for his performance in the match.[21]

International career

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Peña represented Spain at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels, earning a combined total of 30 caps. He was a runner-up in the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, being a first-choice throughout the tournament. His sole under-21 appearance was on 12 November 2020 against the Faroe Islands in Marbella, coming on at half time for Álvaro Fernández in a 2–0 win in qualification for the following year's European Championship.[22]

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. However, Peña did not play.[23]

Career statistics

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As of match played 26 November 2024[24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2018–19 Segunda División B 20 0 20 0
2019–20 Segunda División B 18 0 3[a] 0 21 0
2020–21 Segunda División B 12[b] 0 1[a] 0 13 0
2021–22 Primera División RFEF 9 0 9 0
Total 59 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 63 0
Galatasaray (loan) 2021–22 Süper Lig 6 0 0 0 2[c] 0 8 0
Barcelona 2022–23 La Liga 2 0 2 0 1[d] 0 0 0 5 0
2023–24 La Liga 10 0 3 0 2[d] 0 2[e] 0 17 0
2024–25 La Liga 9 0 0 0 4[d] 0 0 0 13 0
Total 21 0 5 0 7 0 2 0 35 0
Career total 86 0 5 0 9 0 6 0 106 0
  1. ^ a b Appearances(s) in Segunda División B play-offs
  2. ^ Includes three appearances in Segunda División B second phase
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearances in Supercopa de España

Honours

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Barcelona Youth

Barcelona

Spain U17

Individual

  • UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016[30]

References

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  1. ^ "Iñaki Peña". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Iñaki Peña, el hincha herculano que vale 60 millones de euros" [Iñaki Peña, the supporter of Hércules who is worth 60 million euros] (in Spanish). Diario Información. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Iñaki Peña, más que un parapenaltis" [Iñaki Peña, more than a penalty stopper] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Chelsea 0–3 Barcelona UEFA Youth League final: report". Diario AS. 5 April 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  5. ^ "El FC Barcelona e Iñaki Peña han llegado a un acuerdo para la renovación de su contrato" [FC Barcelona and Iñaki Peña reached an agreement for the renewal of his contract] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Los juveniles elegidos para subir al Barça B la próxima temporada" [The juveniles chosen to promote to Barça B the following season] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. ^ "1–1: Un punto que sabe a poco al Barça B" [1–1: An insufficient draw to Barça B] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Squad announced for Copa first leg at Cultural Leonesa". FC Barcelona. 30 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Lenglet salva un mal partido en León" [Lenglet saves a poor match in León] (in Spanish). Marca. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Así es Iñaki Peña, suplente de Ter Stegen en el Clásico" [This is Iñaki Peña, substitute for Ter Stegen in El Clásico] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 6 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Iñaki Peña, the heir to Ter Stegen". Marca. 2 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Iñaki Peña gana protagonismo tras la baja de Neto" [Iñaki Peña gains prominence after Neto's injury] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  13. ^ "El Barça renueva a Iñaki Peña" [Barça renew Iñaki Peña]. Sport (in Spanish). 6 October 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Galatasaray'a hoş geldin Iñaki Peña!" (in Turkish). Galatasaray S.K. 31 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Iñaki Peña arranca con buen pie en Turquía" [Iñaki Peña starts off on the right foot in Turkey] (in Spanish). Be Soccer. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  16. ^ Gascón, Javier (28 February 2022). "Iñaki Peña, invicto, pero ya con la presión de Muslera" [Iñaki Peña, unbeaten, but now under pressure from Muslera]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  17. ^ Delgado, Jordi (21 March 2022). "Muslera recupera la titularidad en el Galatasaray frente a Iñaki Peña" [Muslera recovers starting place for Galatasaray ahead of Iñaki Peña]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  18. ^ Sans, Gabriel (31 October 2022). "Xavi confirma que Iñaki Peña y Pablo Torre serán titulares en Plzen". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Iñaki Peña officially becomes first team player and will wear number 13 shirt". FC Barcelona. 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Iñaki Peña extends contract to 2026". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Flick talks Pena, Lewandowski, de Jong, Fermin, Olmo, Ancelotti after Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona". www.sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  22. ^ "La sub-21 tarda en derribar el muro de Islas Feroe, en un triunfo merecido" [Under-21s leave it late in taking down the Faroe Islands' wall, in a deserved triumph]. Diario Sur (in Spanish). 12 November 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ Iñaki Peña at Soccerway
  25. ^ "Chelsea 0–3 Barcelona". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  26. ^ "FC Barcelona, Liga champions 2022/23!". FC Barcelona. 14 May 2023.
  27. ^ Lowe, Sid (17 April 2021). "Messi stars as Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao to lift Copa del Rey". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  28. ^ Baynes, Ciaran (15 January 2023). "Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona: Gavi stars as Barca dominate to win Spanish Super Cup". Euro Sport. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  29. ^ "España pierde la final ante Portugal en la tanda de penaltis (1–1 /5–4)" [Spain lose final against Portugal on penalty shootout (1–1 /5–4)] (in Spanish). Eurosport. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  30. ^ "[Under-17] The UEFA technical team – Team of the Tournament". UEFA. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
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