Goalkeepers at Athletic Club don't get many windows. The club recruits under a strict Basque-only policy, it rarely buys, and right now the man in front of everyone is Unai Simon, a Spain international. That's the wall Alex Padilla has been staring at for two seasons. At 23, he's had a handful of La Liga games, a loan in Mexico and a stack of senior Mexico call-ups without a single cap. The talent is real. The question for 2026 is whether the opportunity ever arrives in Bilbao, or whether it has to be found somewhere else.
The File on Padilla
| Full name | Alejandro Padilla Perez |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1, 2003, in Zarautz, Gipuzkoa, Spain |
| Age | 23 |
| Nationality | Mexican and Spanish (Basque father, Mexican mother) |
| Height and weight | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in), 83 kg (183 lbs) |
| Position | Goalkeeper, right-footed |
| Club | Athletic Club, squad number 27 |
| Contract | Until June 30, 2029 |
| Previous clubs | CD Basconia, Bilbao Athletic, Pumas UNAM (loan) |
| International | Mexico U23 (three caps), senior call-ups |
| Market value | Around EUR 3 million (June 2026 estimate) |
| EA FC 26 | 68 overall, 79 potential |
| Net worth | Icon Polls estimate: $2 million to $4 million |
| Agency | THE TEAM |
A Surf Town Kid Inside the Basque Rule
Zarautz is a small beach town on the Gipuzkoa coast, better known for surfboards than goalkeeping gloves. Being born there mattered, though. Athletic Club only fields players born in the Basque Country, with Basque heritage or trained in Basque academies, and Padilla ticked every box. He joined the club's youth setup at Under-16 level and climbed the usual ladder: the farm team CD Basconia, then the reserves at Bilbao Athletic.
It's a slow route by design. Athletic grow their own, and that patience is part of why the club works. It also means a young keeper can spend years waiting for one door to open.
The Night He Played Against Mexico
Here's the detail that makes his story odd. Padilla's first international football came for Spain. He debuted for Spain's U19 side on September 2, 2021, coming off the bench in a 5-1 win over, of all teams, Mexico. He was also named in Spain's squad for qualifiers for the 2022 European Under-19 Championship.
He switched anyway. Youth caps don't tie a player down, and through his mother he qualified for Mexico. He has since won three U23 caps and been called into the senior squad several times, including for matches against Bolivia, New Zealand and Canada. A senior debut hadn't arrived by mid-2026. For a goalkeeper, a call-up without minutes is normal. The number one jersey at international level is usually held for years, not rotated.
Why Pumas Was the Right Move
By late 2024, the maths at Athletic was simple and unkind. Simon was first choice, Julen Agirrezabala was second, and Padilla was third. A 21-year-old third keeper trains a lot and plays almost never.
So in January 2025 he went to Pumas UNAM on a six-month loan. The fit was obvious on both sides. Pumas had lost both of their goalkeepers from the previous season, and Padilla had a Mexican passport and a national team to impress. He said publicly that when the chance to defend the Pumas goal came up, he didn't think twice. The deal included a purchase option for Pumas and a buy-back clause for Athletic, which tells you the Basque club wanted the safety net. He came back to Bilbao ahead of the 2025/26 season with Liga MX minutes on his record and a much clearer profile in Mexico.
What the Numbers Say So Far
Not much yet, and that's the honest answer. His first-team chance at Athletic came in 2024/25 when injuries hit Simon and Agirrezabala, and he picked up five appearances. In 2025/26 he added five more La Liga games, conceding six goals and keeping one clean sheet. Across Basconia, Bilbao Athletic, Pumas and the first team, he's at roughly 101 career matches.
Five league games is too small a sample to judge a goalkeeper on goals conceded. What scouts and the club tend to highlight instead is the profile: brave, agile, commanding at 1.90 m, and comfortable with the ball at his feet. Athletic's own site points to his distribution, which matters more every year for keepers at clubs that build from the back.
The Squeeze in Bilbao
The 2026 arrival of Edin Terzic as head coach is the variable worth watching. A new manager means a fresh look at the squad, and Padilla's contract to 2029 shows Athletic still see him as part of the plan. But fresh looks don't automatically produce minutes when the incumbent is Simon. Our view: if Padilla isn't getting a meaningful run by the end of this season, another loan would serve him better than another year as an understudy. Goalkeepers peak late, often in their late twenties, so time is on his side. Wasted seasons are not.
FC 26's Verdict
EA Sports seems to agree with the long view. Padilla's base card in FC 26 is a 68 overall with a Career Mode potential of 79, and he picked up a Future Stars card, the promo EA reserves for young players tipped to break through. For Career Mode players, that combination makes him a cheap, patient project: sign him, give him games, watch the reflexes and positioning numbers climb.
The Money, Carefully
His market value was estimated at around EUR 3 million as of June 2026. That's modest, but fair for a keeper with ten-odd top-flight games, and the long contract gives Athletic a strong hand if anyone comes asking.
His Athletic salary has never been made public, so any precise wage figure you see online is a guess. Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $2 million to $4 million, built from his Athletic wages, his Pumas spell and any sponsorship income. As a squad player on a long deal, his pay is likely modest by La Liga standards. Become a regular starter and that changes quickly.
Off the Pitch
Padilla keeps his private life private. There's no publicly confirmed wife or partner, and he hasn't made his personal life part of his public profile. For a young keeper fighting for minutes at club and country level, that seems a sensible priority.
Do you think Padilla becomes Mexico's long-term number one? While you weigh that up, have your say on the game's greats in our best soccer players of all time vote.
Quick Answers
Why does Alex Padilla play for Mexico and not Spain?
He qualifies through his Mexican mother. He played for Spain at U19 level, but youth caps don't tie a player, and he chose Mexico, where he has U23 caps and senior call-ups.
How old is Alex Padilla?
He was born on September 1, 2003, which makes him 23 as of October 2026.
Has he made his senior Mexico debut?
Not as of mid-2026. He has been called up several times, including for games against Bolivia, New Zealand and Canada, without yet getting on the pitch.
