Iker Muniain

Athletic Bilbao legend and youngest-ever debutant

Iker Muniain Goñi (, ; born 19 December 1992) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a winger but also as a forward. He began his career with Athletic Bilbao, debuting aged 16 in 2009 as their youngest player in a competitive match. He helped the team reach the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2012 and played in Copa del Rey finals in 2012, 2020 and 2021, but finished on the losing side each time. He took part in 560 games for the club while scoring 76 goals, and lifted the Spanish Cup as captain in 2024 a few months before leaving to end a 19-year association. Following his departure, he joined San Lorenzo of Argentina. Muniain made 59 appearances for Spain at youth level, winning the European Under-21 Championship in 2011 and 2013. He also featured at the 2012 Olympics, in the same year as his senior Spain debut. He was selected again in 2019, gaining a second international cap seven years after the first.

Quick Facts

Full name: Iker Muniain Goñi
Born: 19 December 1992
Birthplace: Pamplona, Spain
Height: 1.69 m / 5 ft 7 in
Position: Winger, forward
Total caps: 478
Total goals: 63

Lore & Background

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, surpassing 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 veteran Joseba Etxeberria. On 4 October 2009, Muniain became the youngest player to score in a first division match as he achieved that feat in a 2–2 draw at Real Valladolid, aged 16 years and 289 days– that record was surpassed by Málaga CF's Fabrice Olinga in August 2012. On 1 December he signed his first professional contract, running until June 2015. On the 6th, after nearly one month out due to injury, he returned to action, scoring as a 51st-minute substitute to give his team the lead, albeit in a 2–1 loss to Valencia CF. He set up both goals in the next game, a 2–1 win at Real Zaragoza, and finished his first senior season with 35 appearances and six goals across all competitions.

Reader's Guide

Muniain was an undisputed starter in the 2010–11 campaign, featuring as a left winger for the Joaquín Caparrós-led side. On 17 April 2011, he scored a last-minute goal in a 2–1 away defeat of CA Osasuna in his hometown; he was initially booked for taking his hand to his ear during his celebrations (before signing for Athletic he played for UDC Txantrea in Pamplona, and always considered Osasuna a rival organisation. He did clarify that, just because he had affection for a particular organisation, it did not mean he held any animosity towards any others) which meant a suspension for his fifth yellow card of the season, but it was later lifted. Now allowed to take part in the following matchday, the derby against Real Sociedad, he netted another in a 2–1 home victory. Muniain took part in 58 games overall in 2011–12, scoring on nine occasions as the Lions reached both the Europa League and the Copa del Rey finals. In early 2012, he was linked with a move away from Athletic, although a move never materialised as he did not push for a move with three years still left on his contract. He scored just once in 33 league appearances the following campaign, netting the only goal on 10 March 2013 in a home win over Valencia which eased doubts over a possible relegation battle. On 1 December 2013, Muniain was again the sole name on the scoresheet at the new San Mamés Stadium, to hand FC Barcelona their first league loss of that season. Eighteen days later, he celebrated his 21st birthday by grabbing a brace in a 4–0 domestic cup home victory against RC Celta de Vigo, which signified his team progressed through to the round of 16 4–1 on aggregate. In that period, media reports suggested that his progression as a footballer in his 20s had slowed after showing such high potential as a young teenager. On 4 April 2015, during a game against Sevilla FC, Muniain suffered the first serious injury of his career, being sidelined for several months with an anterior cruciate ligament ailment to his left knee– this meant he was unable to take any part in the year's Spanish Cup or Supercopa de España finals. After suffering some setbacks in his recovery process he returned to action on 20 December, replacing Iñaki Williams for the last minutes of a 2–0 home defeat of Levante UD.