Joan Capdevila International Caps Record

Lore & Background

Born in Tàrrega, Lleida, Catalonia, Capdevila was a product of Espanyol's youth system and started playing football as a forward. He made his debut for Espanyol's first team during the 1998–99 season. He joined Atlético Madrid the following year, then signed with Deportivo de La Coruña in summer 2000. For the 2007–08 campaign, he moved to Villarreal on a three-year deal. He played in all but two league games in his first season as Villarreal finished runners-up. In his second year he scored five goals. In 2009–10 he added another five goals. He faced stiff competition from José Catalá midway through 2010–11 but finished the campaign with more than 40 official appearances, including nine in Villarreal's Europa League semi-final run, where he scored in a 3–2 home victory over eventual winners Porto.

Reader's Guide

Capdevila played for Spain at the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning the silver medal. He made his debut for the full side on 16 October 2002 in a 0–0 friendly draw with Paraguay. He was an injury replacement for Euro 2004 but did not leave the bench. He was called up for Euro 2008, where he featured in all games save one for the eventual champions, establishing himself as first choice. He played all minutes for Spain at the 2010 World Cup, being the only member of the starting line-up for the final who was not of Real Madrid or FC Barcelona. He also played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, providing three assists in the group stage and being named in the team of the tournament.

Did You Know?

• He made around 140 league appearances for Villarreal, not over 350.
• He played for Benfica, NorthEast United, Lierse, and Santa Coloma after leaving Villarreal.