Alejandro "Alex" Alcalá Solorio (born 20 October 2005) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City. Born in the United States, he is a youth international for Mexico.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alejandro Alcalá Solorio[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 20 October 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Stockton, California, United States[1] | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester City | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Stockton TLJ FC Rebels | |||
| 2020–2021 | LA Galaxy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2023 | LA Galaxy II | 22 | (3) |
| 2024– | Manchester City | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| Mexico U15 | |||
| Mexico U16 | |||
| 2022– | Mexico U18 | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:00, 16 January 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2022 | |||
Club career edit
Early career edit
Born in Stockton, California, Alcalá started his career with local side Stockton TLJ FC Rebels.[2] He spent time training with Manchester City, Barcelona and Pachuca before joining the LA Galaxy academy in 2020.[3] He signed professional terms with the Galaxy in February 2021.[4]
In July 2021, it was announced that English side Manchester City have a pre-arrangement with La Galaxy to have first refusal to Alcalá's buyout clause once he turns 18.[5][6][7]
In July 2022, having not yet made his debut for LA Galaxy II, he was named to the MLS Next All-Star Game for 2022.[8]
Manchester City edit
On 11 January 2024, Alcalá signed a five-year deal with Manchester City's Elite Development Squad.[9]
International career edit
Eligible to represent both Mexico and the United States at international level, Alcalá has been capped by Mexico at various youth level.[1][10]
Style of play edit
A skilful and fast midfielder, Alcalá models his play style on Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, and states that he admires the playing style of Jesús Manuel Corona.[6][11] He has been referred to as the "Mexican Messi", due to his stature and playing style being similar to that of Argentine legend Lionel Messi.[2][12] However, Alcalá says that he does not like this comparison, and wants to make his own impact on the game.[11]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Alex Alcalá at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b "Alex Alcalá, el 'Messi mexicano' de 13 años" [Alex Alcalá, the 13-year-old 'Mexican Messi']. notimerica.com (in Spanish). 3 July 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ Garcia, Adriana (17 February 2021). "LA Galaxy sign teen prodigy Alcala to first professional contract". espn.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ Daniels, Tim (17 February 2021). "15-Year-Old Alex Alcala, LA Galaxy Agree to Contract". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ Hasija, Jatin (22 November 2020). "MLS News: Mexico's Alex Alcala Set To Sign For LA Galaxy". thesportsrush.com. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ a b Tovar, René (6 July 2021). "Manchester City tiene preacuerdo con joya mexicana para llevárselo a Inglaterra" [Manchester City has a pre-agreement with a Mexican jewel to take him to England]. espndeportes.espn.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ "LA Galaxy prodigy who humiliated Man United has already agreed to sign for Man City". marca.com. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ Rodriguez, Alicia (27 July 2022). "LA Galaxy Academy's Alex Alcala, Ruben Ramos get MLS Next honors". lagconfidential.com. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ "Dual national Alex Alcalá, 18, signs Man City development deal". ESPN. 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Alex Alcalá". lagalaxy.com. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Tiene 15 años y ya es la gran promesa en la MLS: Alex Alcalá, el "Messi mexicano" del LA Galaxy" [He is 15 years old and is already the great promise in the MLS: Alex Alcalá, the "Mexican Messi" of the LA Galaxy]. infobae.com (in Spanish). 24 February 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ Vidal, Luis (19 April 2022). "Who Is Alex Alcalá? The Mexican Kid Who Destroyed Manchester United's U17 Defense". the18.com. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
External links edit
- Alex Alcalá at Soccerway