Javi Puado
Spanish association football player
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Javier Puado Díaz (born 25 May 1998) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Espanyol. Mainly a right winger, he can also be deployed as a forward.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Javier Puado Díaz[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 May 1998[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Espanyol | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Cornellà | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Espanyol | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Espanyol B | 37 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Espanyol | 198 | (50) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Zaragoza (loan) | 21 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Spain U20 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Spain U21 | 10 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Spain U23 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Spain | 1 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Catalonia | 2 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:56, 14 February 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Club career
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Puado joined RCD Espanyol's youth academy in 2014, from UE Cornellà.[3] He made his senior debut with the reserves on 20 August 2016, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 Segunda División B away draw against UE Llagostera.[4]
On 28 August 2016, in a 0–1 home loss against Valencia CF Mestalla, Puado suffered a knee injury which kept him sidelined for eight months.[5][6] He returned to action the following 14 May, playing the last 24 minutes and scoring his team's first goal in a 3–2 defeat to CE Sabadell FC, with his side already relegated.[7]
Puado renewed his contract on 21 June 2017, until 2022.[8] The following 28 May, after scoring 12 times and being a key unit in the B side's return to the third tier, he was promoted to the main squad in La Liga.[9]
On 18 August 2018, Puado made his first-team debut by replacing Pablo Piatti in a 1–1 draw at RC Celta de Vigo.[10] He scored his first professional goal on 1 November, the equaliser in a 2–1 away loss against Cádiz CF in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.[11]
Puado was loaned to Segunda División club Real Zaragoza on 16 November 2019, as a cover for the injured Raphael Dwamena.[12][13] Having returned to the RCDE Stadium, he scored 12 goals during the 2020–21 campaign – second best in the squad, only behind Raúl de Tomás' 23 – as Espanyol returned to the top flight after one year out, as champions.[14][15]
On 23 June 2024, Puado scored a brace in a 2–0 win over Real Oviedo in the second leg of the promotion play-offs finals, securing return to the main division 2–1 on aggregate.[16] In July 2025, having netted 12 times as the team managed to avoid relegation, he agreed to an extension until 2030.[17]
Puado had to be stretchered off in the 73rd minute of a league fixture at Levante UD on 11 January 2026, having taken the field as a substitute himself; he had returned to action that day after recovering from a knee condition.[18] Four days later, an anterior cruciate ligament injury was confirmed and he missed the rest of the season.[19]
International career
On 6 September 2019, Puado earned his first cap for the Spain under-21 team, featuring the first half of a 1–0 victory in Kazakhstan for the 2021 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[20] Selected by Luis de la Fuente for the finals, he opened a 3–0 win over Slovenia in the group phase,[21] then added a brace in the 2–1 extra time quarter-final defeat of Croatia.[22]
Puado made his debut for the non-FIFA Catalonia national team on 25 March 2019, against Venezuela at the Estadi Montilivi in Girona; he came on as a substitute and scored a late winner in a 2–1 win.[23] He played his first match with the Spanish senior side on 8 June 2021, scoring in a 4–0 friendly victory over Lithuania in Leganés in which ten of the starters were making their first appearance.[24]
Personal life
Puado's father, Francisco, was also a footballer and a forward. He spent the vast majority of his career in the Spanish lower leagues, having a brief spell in the main division with CA Osasuna.[25][3]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played on 24 May 2025[26]
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Espanyol B | 2016–17 | Segunda División B | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18 | Tercera División | 34 | 12 | — | — | 2[a] | 1 | 36 | 13 | |||
| Total | 37 | 13 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 39 | 14 | ||||
| Espanyol | 2018–19 | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Segunda División | 37 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 13 | |||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 30 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 5 | |||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 37 | 7 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 41 | 9 | |||
| 2023–24 | Segunda División | 34 | 13 | 2 | 1 | — | 4[c] | 3 | 36 | 14 | ||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 35 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 12 | |||
| Total | 188 | 48 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 211 | 57 | ||
| Zaragoza (loan) | 2019–20 | Segunda División | 21 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 5 | ||
| Career totals | 246 | 65 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 272 | 76 | ||
- Appearances in Tercera División play-offs
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in Segunda División play-offs
International
- As of match played 8 June 2021[27]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2021 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | |
- As of match played 8 June 2021
- Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Puado goal.[27]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 June 2021 | Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganés, Spain |  Lithuania | 4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
Honours
Espanyol
Spain U23
- Summer Olympics silver medal: 2020[28]
Individual
- La Liga Goal of the Month: January 2025[29]
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2021[30]