Iker Muníain

Athletic Bilbao

Precocious debut

Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Muniain was a product of Basque giants Athletic Bilbao's youth ranks after joining at the age of 12. In January 2009, he made his debut for the reserve team Bilbao Athletic in the Segunda División B, aged 16 years and 16 days, and scored his first goal at that level 19 days later. Muniain made his first-team debut on 30 July 2009, in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match against BSC Young Boys: he entered the field as a 59th-minute substitute for Gaizka Toquero in an eventual 1–0 home defeat, thus becoming the youngest player in 94 years to wear Athletic's shirt in an official game at 16 years, 7 months and 11 days old, only behind Domingo Acedo who scored on his debut in 1914. One week later, in the return leg in Switzerland, he netted his first goal, in a 2–1 win that qualified for the playoff rounds; he again entered the club's record books as the joint-second-youngest player to find the net (16 years, 7 months and 18 days) in a competitive match – behind Acedo and level with Agustín Gaínza– and the youngest ever in a European match. Another record fell on 30 August 2009, as Muniain started in the 1–0 home victory over RCD Espanyol, 2009–10's opener, becoming the youngest player to have donned the club's shirt in La Liga (overtaking Patxi Ferreira). Two weeks later he scored again in European competition, 3–0 at home against FK Austria Wien, after a good team move involving Andoni Iraola and…

Due to his style of play and stature, Muniain was dubbed "the Spanish Messi" by the media as a teenager.

On 8 February 2011, at the age of only 18, Muniain made his debut with the Spain under-21 team in a match against Denmark, replacing Adrián López. Subsequently, he was selected by manager Luis Milla to the squad that appeared in the 2011 UEFA European Championship, appearing in all the games as the nation won its third title in the category and qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics. On 24 February 2012, Muniain was called up to the senior side for the first time, for a friendly with Venezuela. Five days later, he came on for Cesc Fàbregas in the 74th minute of the 5–0 win in Málaga. Later that year, at the Summer Olympic Games in London, he made two appearances as Spain exited in the group stage without scoring a goal. Muniain earned 31 caps for the under-21s, which was a national record for three years before being surpassed by Gerard Deulofeu. In 2019, after showing fine form for his club, he was selected in the senior squad for two UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches; he played his second match more than seven years after the first, as well as his competitive debut, as a substitute in a 2–0 victory over Malta on 26 March. Muniain also featured for the unofficial Basque Country regional team.

On 28 June 2025, Muniain announced his retirement at age 32. He was immediately appointed as manager of Tercera Federación side CD Derio.