Joel Roca
Spanish footballer
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Joel Roca Casals (born 7 June 2005) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays mainly as a left winger for Girona FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joel Roca Casals | ||
| Date of birth | 7 June 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Camprodon, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Girona | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014–2016 | UE Campodron | ||
| 2016–2019 | Barcelona | ||
| 2019–2021 | Girona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2024 | Girona B | 24 | (3) |
| 2022– | Girona | 29 | (2) |
| 2024–2025 | → Mirandés (loan) | 38 | (6) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2022 | Spain U17 | 10 | (6) |
| 2022–2024 | Spain U19 | 5 | (1) |
| 2025 | Spain U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2025– | Spain U21 | 4 | (2) |
| 2025– | Catalonia | 1 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 31 March 2026 | |||
Playing style
Roca is a winger most well known for his goalscoring ability and direct style of play. Although comparably small in height, he is noted for his pace and verticality in transition.[1]
Club career
Born in Camprodon, Girona, Catalonia, Roca began playing football in his hometown UE Campodron, where he was a top goalscorer. He moved to the youth academy of FC Barcelona in 2016, and then to Girona FC's youth sides in 2019. In September 2021 at the age of 16, he debuted for the latter's reserves in the Tercera División RFEF, jumping up four youth categories in three years.[2] On 3 June 2022, he extended his contract with the club keeping him until 2026.[3]
Roca made his professional – and La Liga – debut with Girona on 26 August 2022, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 loss to RC Celta de Vigo.[4] In August 2023, shortly after recovering from a biceps femoris muscle injury,[5] he suffered a serious knee injury which kept him sidelined for the entire 2023–24 season.[6]
On 20 August 2024, after fully recovering, Roca was loaned to Segunda División side CD Mirandés for one year.[7] He scored his first professional goal on 6 December, netting the equalizer in a 2–1 home win over Levante UD.
On 3 July 2025, after being regularly used for the Jabatos as they narrowly missed out promotion in the play-offs, Roca renewed his contract with Girona until 2029.[8] He scored his first goal in the top tier on 15 August, netting his side's only in a 3–1 home loss to Rayo Vallecano.
International career
Roca is a youth international for Spain, having played for the under-19 level.[9] He was named in the under-20 squad for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.[10]
He debuted with the Catalonia team in a friendly 2–1 win over Palestine on 18 November 2025.[11]
Career statistics
- As of match played 21 March 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Girona B | 2021–22 | Tercera Federación | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | Tercera Federación | 11 | 3 | — | — | — | 11 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 24 | 3 | — | — | — | 24 | 3 | |||||
| Girona | 2022–23 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 2 | |||
| Total | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 2 | |||
| Mirandés (loan) | 2024–25 | Segunda División | 38 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 0 | 43 | 6 | |
| Career total | 91 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 97 | 11 | ||
- Appearances in La Liga play-offs