Fermín López

Early career

Born in El Campillo, Huelva, Andalusia, López began playing football with his local club El Campillo, and followed that with a stint at Recreativo before moving to Real Betis in 2012. In the summer of 2016, he moved to the youth academy of Barcelona.

Barcelona

2022–23: Loan to Linares

On 19 August 2022, López signed a professional contract with Barcelona Atlètic for two years until 2024, and immediately went on loan with Linares in the Primera Federación for the 2022–23 season. He made his senior debut nine days later, starting in a 2–0 home win over Mérida. López scored his first senior goal on 30 October 2022, in a 2–1 away success over Rayo Majadahonda. He finished the campaign with 12 goals in 40 appearances overall, being an undisputed starter for Linares.

2023–24: First team debut

After strong performances in training with Barcelona before the preseason, López was called up to their senior pre-season squad in July 2023. He received international recognition after a strong performance for Barcelona, as he scored a goal and provided an assist in a friendly 3–0 win over their rivals Real Madrid on 29 July 2023. After the game, manager Xavi confirmed that López was to stay with their senior side for the 2023–24 season. On 27 August, López made his La Liga debut for Barcelona in a 4–3 away win over Villarreal. Two days later, he signed a new contract at the club until 30 June 2027, with a buyout clause of €400 million.…

On 6 October 2023, López was called up to the Spain under-21 squad; he later made his debut on 13 October in a 0–0 draw against the Uzbekistan under-23 team. He then went on to score his first goal for the team in a 4–0 away win over Kazakhstan in a qualifying match for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship on 17 October. On 27 May 2024, López was selected in the Spanish senior 29-man preliminary squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. On 5 June, he debuted in a 5–0 friendly victory against Andorra at the Estadio Nuevo Vivero in Badajoz, coming on as a substitute to Barcelona teammate Pedri in the 62nd minute and assisting on the last goal of the game by another Barcelona player Ferran Torres. Shortly after, Spain won Euro 2024 with López being a largely unused substitute. In July, 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. López scored 6 goals (including two against France in the final) and became second best goalscorer of the tournament (only behind Soufiane Rahimi). He along with his teammate Álex Baena became only the second and third players ever to win the UEFA European Championship and the Summer Olympic gold medal in the same year, after the French goalkeeper Albert Rust. Unfortunately, he suffered a foot fracture right before the 2026 FIFA World Cup that ruled him out of Spanish squad.

Fermín is an ambipedal central midfielder, with the versatility to play as an attacking midfielder. He has been described as technically proficient with great movement off the ball, adept at exploiting space, and productive with goals and assists. He is known for his powerful long-range shots, close control and high work-rate.

Club

As of match played 6 September 2026

International

As of match played 31 March 2026