Álvaro Morata Biography: Net Worth, Age, Career, Records, Family, Achievements!
Álvaro Morata is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Spain national team. Morata started his career at Real Madrid’s youth academy before making his senior debut in 2010.
He had two spells with Real Madrid and also played for Juventus and Chelsea before joining Atlético Madrid in 2020.
Morata has won several trophies during his career including 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey trophies, 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Super Cups and 2 FIFA Club World Cups with Real Madrid.
He also won 2 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia trophies and 1 Italian Super Cup with Juventus. At international level, Morata was part of the Spain squad that won the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament.
In this 4000 word article, we will cover various aspects of Álvaro Morata’s life and career including his biography, net worth, age, playing career, records, family, achievements and relationships.
Biography and Early Life
- Álvaro Borja Morata Martín was born on 23rd October 1992 in Madrid, Spain to parents Alicia Martín and Alfonso Morata.
- His father Alfonso was also a footballer who played as a striker for various Spanish teams like Getafe and Leganes.
- Morata developed a keen interest in football from an early age watching his father play. He would often accompany his father to training sessions and matches.
- Morata started playing football for a small club in Madrid called Átomos CF at age 7. He spent three years developing his skills at this local club.
- In 2005, at age 13, Morata joined the youth academy of Atlético Madrid. He progressed through the junior teams, showcasing his talents as a quick and skillful striker.
- After spending two years at Atlético Madrid, Morata caught the attention of scouts from cross-town rivals Real Madrid.
Move to Real Madrid and Early Career
- In 2008, at the age of 15, Morata signed for the youth academy of Real Madrid. This was a big step up for the young striker.
- He continued his development through Real Madrid’s Cadete B and Juvenil teams, scoring goals regularly.
- Morata was part of the Real Madrid squad that won the Spanish Juvenil Cup in 2011 scoring 12 goals in 17 games.
- His impressive performances earned him a call up to Real Madrid’s reserve team Real Madrid Castilla in 2011. This was a huge milestone for the 19-year-old.
- Morata excelled playing for Castilla in the Segunda División, scoring 11 goals in 36 appearances in his debut season 2011-12.
- He was one of the standout performers as Castilla won the 2012 Segunda División B title, gaining promotion to Segunda División.
- Morata’s potential was noticed by the first team coaches and he was called up several times to train with the senior stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas.
- He was an unused substitute in a number of La Liga and Champions League fixtures in the 2011-12 season.
First Team Debut and Genrean Era
- Álvaro Morata continued to feature for Real Madrid Castilla in 2012-13 while also participating in first team training.
- In December 2012, he was handed his first team debut by manager José Mourinho in a Copa del Rey game against Alcoyano.
- A few months later in February 2013, Morata made his La Liga debut coming on as a substitute against Levante.
- Under new manager Carlo Ancelotti in 2013-14, Morata became a more regular member of the senior squad making 23 appearances across all competitions and scoring 2 goals.
- He played a key role as Real Madrid won the 2013-14 Champions League title, often coming on as an impact substitute.
- The 2014-15 season was Morata’s breakthrough year as he established himself as a key squad member under Ancelotti.
- He scored 15 goals in 46 appearances, finishing as Real’s second highest goal scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Morata won the 2014 UEFA Super Cup and 2014 FIFA Club World Cup with Real Madrid.
Loan to Juventus
- In July 2014, Álvaro Morata joined Italian giants Juventus on a two-year loan deal. Real Madrid retained a buy-back clause as part of this deal.
- Morata had specifically requested to join Juventus to become a starter and the main striker.
- It proved to be an excellent move as Morata scored 15 goals in 48 games across all competitions in his first season (2014-15) with Juventus.
- He formed a prolific strike partnership with Carlos Tevez as Juventus completed a domestic double, winning Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
- Morata carried his great form into 2015-16, scoring 12 goals as Juventus retained the league title.
- He scored the decisive goal in Juventus’s 1-0 win over AC Milan in the 2016 Coppa Italia Final.
- Overall, Morata scored 27 goals in 93 appearances during his two-year loan spell with Juventus and won 6 trophies.
Return to Real Madrid
- Based on his success with Juventus, Real Madrid exercised their buy-back clause to re-sign Morata for €30 million in June 2016.
- Back with Los Blancos, Morata was expected to be the main backup for Karim Benzema in attack.
- He actually had an excellent first season back at the Bernabeu, scoring 20 goals in 43 games across all competitions.
- Morata delivered crucial goals especially in the UEFA Champions League helping Real win their 12th European crown in 2017.
- Despite his respectable scoring record, Morata mainly found himself playing second-fiddle as Benzema was the first-choice striker.
- This lack of consistent starts made Morata consider his options and he decided to pursue a transfer away from Real Madrid again.
Transfer to Chelsea
- In July 2017, Premier League giants Chelsea signed Álvaro Morata for a reported fee of around £60 million.
- Morata was brought in to replace Diego Costa who left Chelsea for Atlético Madrid.
- He was handed the number 9 shirt and started well, scoring 6 goals in his first 6 EPL games for Chelsea.
- However, Morata hit a slump later in the season and ended with 11 league goals in 34 appearances as Chelsea’s title defense faltered.
- His debut season in England was marred by inconsistency, injuries and poor form.
- In 2018-19, Morata’s struggles continued as he scored only 5 EPL goals. His loss of confidence was evident.
- In January 2019, Chelsea sent Morata on an 18-month loan to Atlético Madrid with an option to buy.
Return to Spain with Atlético Madrid
- The loan move to Atlético Madrid saw Morata regain his form and confidence in front of goal.
- He scored 6 goals in 17 appearances in the second half of the 2018-19 season to help Atlético finish 2nd in La Liga.
- Atlético and Chelsea then agreed on a permanent transfer for Morata worth around £50 million in July 2019.
- Morata has been an integral member of Diego Simeone’s squad since his return to Spain.
- In the 2019-20 season, he scored 16 goals as Atlético finished 3rd in La Liga and reached the Champions League quarter-finals.
- He has continued to perform consistently for Atlético in 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, despite injuries and Covid affecting some of his availability.
- As of January 2023 in his fourth season with Atlético, Morata has scored over 50 goals making him one of their top scorers in recent years.
Playing for Spain National Team
- Álvaro Morata has also represented Spain at various youth levels including the U-17, U-19 and U-21 teams.
- He was part of the victorious Spain squad at the 2011 U-19 Euro Championships, scoring the winner in the final against Czech Republic.
- In 2012, Morata earned a call-up to Spain’s senior team for UEFA Euro 2012 while still playing in the Real Madrid youth teams.
- He made three substitute appearances in that tournament including the 4-0 win over Italy in the final. So he was a UEFA Euro winner at just 19 years old!
- Since then, Morata has been a regular member of La Roja making over 50 appearances and scoring 25 international goals.
- He represented Spain at the 2016 Euros, 2018 World Cup and 2020 Euros.
- Morata remains a key attacker in manager Luis Enrique’s plans going into the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Conclusion
In summary, Álvaro Morata has had an eventful professional career so far at the age of 30. He has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe including Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea and Atlético Madrid. Morata has won numerous titles and accolades highlighting his talents as a striker.
He holds the unique record of being a UEFA Champions League and Euro winner before even making his full senior debut for Real Madrid. That illustrates the potential he showed from a young age.
Morata has delivered brilliant goal-scoring spells for both club and country. His time at Chelsea proved challenging demonstrating that he can struggle with form and confidence at times.
However, Morata has shown resilience to bounce back. His move to Atlético Madrid has seen him rebuild his career and become a key player for one of Europe’s elite clubs.
With his peak years still ahead, Morata has the capability to keep excelling and winning more trophies if he can maintain consistency. His success with the Spanish national team also continues highlighting his value for La Roja.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Álvaro Morata’s current club?
Álvaro Morata currently plays club football for Atlético Madrid in La Liga. He joined them on an initial loan in 2019 before making the move permanent.
How much did Chelsea pay to sign Morata?
Chelsea paid a transfer fee reported to be around £60 million to Real Madrid to sign Álvaro Morata in July 2017.
What was Morata’s role in Real Madrid’s ‘La Decima’ Champions League win?
Although not a regular starter, Morata played an important role coming off the bench to score some crucial and memorable goals to help Real Madrid win their 10th UEFA Champions League title in 2013-14.
How many trophies has Morata won in his career so far?
Álvaro Morata has won 15 major trophies so far in his career for club and country. His trophy haul includes 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Super Cups and multiple domestic league titles.
What is a distinctive celebration that Morata performs after scoring a goal?
Morata often celebrates his goals by pretending to talk on an imaginary baby phone. This ‘baby call’ celebration was due to him becoming a father in 2017.
Why did Morata leave Chelsea after just 18 months?
Morata struggled with inconsistency and injuries at Chelsea. He lost confidence and form there which led to Chelsea loaning him out to Atlético Madrid after 18 months before selling him permanently.
What number does Morata wear for Spain?
Morata wears the number 7 shirt for the Spanish national team. This is a prestigious number previously worn by Spanish legends like Raúl González and David Villa.
How did Morata’s father influence his football career?
Morata’s father Alfonso was also a footballer who played for many years in Spain. Morata went to his games and training sessions from a young age which inspired his own desire to become a professional footballer.
Which club did Morata make his senior debut for?
Álvaro Morata made his first senior appearance in December 2010 for Real Madrid after progressing through their youth academy from 2008.
How does Morata link up so well with strike partners like Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann?
Morata possesses great movement and positional sense which allows him to effectively complement elite attackers like Ronaldo and Griezmann for club and country. His unselfishness and work rate are also big assets.