Borja López
Spanish footballer
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Borja López Menéndez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈboɾxa ˈlopeθ]; born 2 February 1994) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Swiss Challenge League club Bellinzona.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Borja López Menéndez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 February 1994[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Gijón, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bellinzona | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Llano 2000 | |||
| Xeitosa | |||
| Sporting Gijón | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2013 | Sporting Gijón B | 10 | (0) |
| 2013 | Sporting Gijón | 19 | (0) |
| 2013–2016 | Monaco | 1 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Arouca (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Barcelona B | 25 | (2) |
| 2016 | Barcelona | 0 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Hajduk Split | 51 | (2) |
| 2019–2022 | Sporting Gijón | 62 | (2) |
| 2022–2024 | Zulte Waregem | 19 | (1) |
| 2024 | → Leganés (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2025 | Ceuta | 2 | (0) |
| 2025– | Bellinzona | 29 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | Spain U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2013 | Spain U19 | 8 | (0) |
| 2012 | Spain U20 | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 May 2026 | |||
He had two spells with Sporting de Gijón, totalling 81 games and two goals in the Segunda División as well as making three appearances for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, and one for Barcelona on their way to winning the Copa del Rey in 2016–17. Abroad, he featured in a lone Ligue 1 match for Monaco while also playing in Portugal, Croatia, Belgium and Switzerland.
Club career
Sporting Gijón
Born in Gijón, Asturias, López was a Sporting de Gijón youth graduate. On 18 December 2011, he made his senior debut for the B side against Getafe CF B.
López made his first-team debut on 1 November 2012, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 home win over CA Osasuna in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.[3] He made his Segunda División debut on the 16th, again starting but in a 2–3 home loss to SD Ponferradina.[4]
On 31 January 2013, López was promoted to the Asturians' main squad alongside Luis Hernández.[5]
Monaco
On 2 August 2013, López signed a four-year contract with high-spending AS Monaco FC of Ligue 1 for a €2.2 million fee.[6] He played three games for the principality team, his sole in the league being 20 minutes as a substitute for Marcel Tisserand in a 2–2 draw at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard on 20 October.[7]
López was loaned to La Liga's Rayo Vallecano in late January 2014, until the end of the season.[8] He made his debut in the competition on 29 March, starting the 5–0 defeat at Real Madrid.[9]
On 29 January 2015, López moved to Deportivo de La Coruña on loan until June.[10] On 4 July, in the same situation, he joined Portuguese Primeira Liga club F.C. Arouca.[11]
Barcelona
On 29 January 2016, López joined FC Barcelona on a two-and-a-half-year deal, and was assigned to the reserves in the third division.[12] His only official appearance for the main squad took place on 30 November, when he played the entire 1–1 away draw with Hércules CF in the domestic cup.[13]
Later career
On 30 June 2017, López switched teams and countries again after signing for HNK Hajduk Split in Croatia.[14] On 6 August 2019, he returned to his first club Sporting on a free transfer.[15]
López agreed to a three-year contract at S.V. Zulte Waregem of the Belgian Pro League in June 2022.[16] On 1 February 2024, after making no appearances in the first half of the campaign, he returned to Spain and its second tier with CD Leganés, on loan.[17] He totalled just 45 minutes for the champions,[18] enough to earn a winners' medal.[19]
On 7 March 2025, López signed a short-term deal with Primera Federación side AD Ceuta FC.[20]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting Gijón B | 2010–11 | Segunda División B | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2011–12 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 2012–13 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||||
| Sporting Gijón | 2012–13 | Segunda División | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| Monaco | 2013–14 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 2013–14 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Deportivo (loan) | 2014–15 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Arouca (loan) | 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Barcelona B | 2015–16 | Segunda División B | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 17 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 25 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 27 | 2 | |||||
| Barcelona | 2016–17 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Hajduk Split | 2017–18 | Croatian Football League | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 5[b] | 0 | — | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[b] | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 51 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | — | 65 | 2 | ||||
| Sporting Gijón | 2019–20 | Segunda División | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 2 | |||
| 2020–21 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 35 | 1 | |||||
| 2021–22 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 62 | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 56 | 1 | |||||
| Zulte Waregem | 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | Challenger Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 1 | |||||
| Career total | 190 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 217 | 8 | ||
- Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
Honours
Barcelona
Leganés
Ceuta
