David Villa
Centre-Forward / Left Winger · Valencia · Spain
About David Villa
David Villa is Spain's all-time leading international goalscorer (59 goals) and the striker whose goals powered Spain through their historic 2008-2012 era of dominance. He won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup (scoring 5 goals including the semi-final winner), and Euro 2012, as well as the Champions League with Barcelona (ESP). He later became a player-investor in New York City FC.
David Villa's story
Tuilla's Miner's Son
Villa was born in Tuilla, a coal-mining village in Asturias, the son of a miner who also played amateur football. He suffered a leg fracture as a child that left one leg shorter than the other — requiring a special boot. Despite this, he developed into one of the most technically complete strikers in Spanish football history.
Spain's Golden Era
Villa was central to Spain's unprecedented run of three consecutive major tournament victories between 2008 and 2012. He scored the winner in the Euro 2008 quarter-final against Italy and in the 2010 World Cup semi-final against Germany — goals that defined tournament moments. His 12 tournament goals in three tournaments is a Spanish record.
New York and Beyond
Villa joined New York City FC in 2015 — becoming one of the club's founding players — and scored 80 goals in 124 appearances before moving to Japan. He became a minority owner of New York City FC and co-founded his own club, Queensboro FC, in the USL Championship.
Did you know?
- 🇪🇸 He is Spain's all-time leading international scorer with 59 goals in 98 appearances — a record that has stood since his retirement in 2019.
- 🏆 He scored 5 goals at the 2010 World Cup — including the semi-final winner against Germany — as Spain became World Champions for the first time.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Patricia González in 2003; they have three children: Zaida, Olalla, and Luca. He settled in the United States after his MLS career with New York City FC.
- ⚽ He scored 166 goals for Valencia — the most by any player in the club's history in the modern era — before leaving for Barcelona at age 28.
- 🌟 Pep Guardiola said: "David Villa is the most clinical finisher I ever managed. Every chance he created for himself, he expected to score. That mentality is rare."
- 🇺🇸 He scored 80 goals in 124 MLS appearances — becoming one of the most prolific players in the league's history and one of the few European stars to genuinely commit to MLS performance.
- 🏙️ He is a minority co-owner of New York City FC and also co-founded Queensboro FC — making him one of the first Spanish footballers to invest seriously in American football ownership.
- 📊 He scored in all three of Spain's tournament victories — Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012 — the only outfield player to have scored in all three of Spain's historic back-to-back-to-back.
- 💪 Despite standing only 175cm, he was one of the most effective aerial strikers in La Liga — with 22% of his career goals coming from headers, an unusually high ratio for his height.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: Spain (2010) — scored the semi-final winner vs. Germany
- UEFA Euro x2: Spain (2008, 2012)
- UEFA Champions League: Barcelona (2011)
- La Liga x3: Barcelona (2011,2013), Atlético (2014)
- Spain All-Time Top Scorer: 59 goals — more than any other Spanish international
See the full David Villa profile
Stats, photo gallery, what the press are saying and the daily challenge, free on DailyPlayer.
Open the full profile