Alvaro Morata

Alvaro Morata is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Spain national team and La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

Early Life

Morata was born on October 23, 1992, in Madrid, Spain. He grew up in the neighborhood of Arganzuela and started playing football at a young age. He joined the youth academy of Atlético Madrid at the age of six, but he left the club at the age of ten to join Getafe. He then moved to Real Madrid's youth academy at the age of 14, where he quickly made a name for himself as a prolific goalscorer.

During his time in Real Madrid's youth teams, Morata won several titles, including the UEFA Youth League, the Spanish Youth League, and the Spanish Youth Cup. He also represented Spain at the Under-17, Under-19, and Under-21 levels.

Club Career

Morata started his professional career with Real Madrid, where he played for four seasons. He made his debut in late 2010 and went on to win several titles with the team, including two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and two UEFA Champions League titles. However, he was often used as a substitute and didn't get as much playing time as he wanted.

In 2014, Morata joined Italian giants Juventus for a reported fee of €20 million. He quickly became an important player for the team and helped them win two Serie A titles and reach the final of the Champions League in his two seasons with the club.

Morata returned to Real Madrid in 2016, but he once again struggled for playing time, as he was competing with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Gareth Bale. Despite this, he still managed to score 20 goals in all competitions and helped the team win the La Liga title and the Champions League. In 2017, Morata joined Chelsea for a club-record fee of £60 million. He had a mixed spell with the London club, scoring 24 goals in 72 appearances in all competitions. He won the FA Cup in his first season with the team, but he was often criticized for his lack of consistency and poor finishing.

Morata returned to Spain in January 2019, joining Atletico Madrid on loan for the remainder of the season. He had a successful spell with the team, scoring six goals in 17 appearances and helping them finish second in La Liga.

In September 2020, Morata returned to Juventus on loan for the 2020-21 season. He had a productive season with the team, scoring 20 goals in all competitions and helping them win the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup. He rejoined Atletico Madrid on a permanent transfer in July 2022.

International Career

Morata made his senior debut for Spain in November 2014 in a friendly against Germany. He scored his first international goal in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Ukraine. He was part of the Spanish squad for Euro 2016, where he scored three goals in four games, including two goals against Turkey in the group stage.

He was left out of the final squad of the 2018 FIFA World Cup due to his poor domestic form at Chelsea, however he returned for the 2020 UEFA Euro 2020. He had an impressive tournament, scoring six goals to become Spain’s top scorer ever in the competition, overtaking Fernando Torres’ tally of five. Despite his efforts, Spain were knocked out in the semi-finals against Italy.

He also featured in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals. In March 2023, he was named the captain of the national team. To date, he has made 62 appearances for Spain, scoring 30 goals.

Records

• Morata is the youngest player to have debuted for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, having played his first match in the competition at the age of 18 years and 95 days.

• He is the first player in history to score in two Champions League finals with two different teams (Real Madrid in 2014 and Juventus in 2015).

• Morata is the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifying match for Spain since David Villa in 2010.

• He is the only player to have scored a goal in the final of the UEFA Youth League, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Spanish Copa del Rey, the Italian Coppa Italia, and the English FA Cup.

• Morata is the first player in history to have scored a hat-trick in a Coppa Italia semi-final match.

• Morata is the first player to score for Atletico Madrid in his first three Champions League appearances for the club.

• Morata is Spain’s top scorer in history in the UEFA Euros with six goals.

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Off the field, Morata is known for his philanthropy work. He has been involved in several charitable initiatives and has donated money to various causes. In 2019, he launched the Alvaro Morata Foundation, which aims to help children in need and promote education through sport.

In his free time, Morata enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family. He is also an avid fan of video games and has stated that he often plays FIFA with his teammates.

Net Worth

As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $4.61 million.

Family

Morata comes from a footballing family, his father, Alfonso Morata, was a footballer who played as a midfielder for several clubs in Spain's lower divisions. His uncle, Enrique Morata, was also a professional footballer who played as a striker for Atletico Madrid and other clubs in Spain.

Wife

Morata is married to Alice Campello, an Italian model, and fashion blogger. They got married in June 2017 and have three children together: twins Alessandro and Leonardo, born in 2018, and a daughter named Edoarda, born in 2021.

Houses

In 2014, he purchased a luxurious villa in the La Finca residential area in Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain. The villa is reportedly worth around 6 million euros and includes a swimming pool, a spa, a gym, a cinema room, and a games room.

In 2017, Morata bought a house in the exclusive neighborhood of Cheswick, London, after he signed for Chelsea FC. The house is reportedly worth around 7 million euros and features six bedrooms, a cinema room, a swimming pool, and a gym.