David Villa Sánchez, born 3 December 1981, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the all-time top goalscorer of the Spain national team. He is currently the vice-president of Spanish Tercera Federación club CF Benidorm and a member of the Board of Directors of La Liga club Atlético Madrid.
⚽ Early Life and Injury
Villa was born in Tuilla, a small parish in Langreo, Asturias, the son of José Manuel Villa, a miner. When Villa was four, he suffered a fracture to the femur in his right leg but made a complete recovery. Due to the injury, he and his father worked on strengthening his left leg and Villa ultimately became ambidextrous.
🌟 Club Career Beginnings
Villa started his professional career with Sporting de Gijón in 2001. He moved to Real Zaragoza after two seasons, where he made his La Liga debut and won the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España. He joined Valencia in 2005 for a transfer fee of €12 million and captured another Copa del Rey title.
🏅 Barcelona and Atlético Madrid
After five seasons at Valencia, he signed for Barcelona for €40 million in 2010. In his first season, he won his first La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles, scoring in the 2011 final. He left in 2013 for Atlético Madrid, where he won another La Liga title and reached the 2014 UEFA Champions League final.
🇺🇸 MLS and Retirement
Villa departed to join new MLS franchise New York City, where he became the club’s record goalscorer and appearance maker. He won the MLS MVP Award for best player in 2016. In 2018, he announced his departure from New York to join Vissel Kobe in Japan before retiring in 2020.
🇪🇸 International Career
Villa made his international debut for Spain in 2005. He participated in four major tournaments and was an integral member of the Spain teams that won UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored three goals at the 2006 World Cup, was the top scorer at Euro 2008, and earned the Silver Boot at the 2010 World Cup.
📊 Key Achievements
Villa established himself as Spain’s top scorer in World Cup history with nine goals. He became the first Spanish player to ever reach 50 international goals. He retired from the national team with 59 goals in 98 matches.
| Tournament | Goals Scored | Award | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 World Cup | 3 | — | 2006 |
| Euro 2008 | Top scorer | Golden Boot | 2008 |
| 2010 World Cup | Silver Boot | Silver Boot | 2010 |
| 2014 World Cup | 9 total (career) | Spain’s top scorer | 2014 |