Unai López
Spanish footballer
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Unai López Cabrera (Basque: [unai lopes̻]; Spanish: [ˈunaj ˈlopeθ]; born 30 October 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Rayo Vallecano.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Unai López Cabrera[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 October 1995[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Errenteria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2010 | Antiguoko | ||
| 2010–2011 | Real Sociedad | ||
| 2011–2013 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Basconia | 21 | (2) |
| 2013–2016 | Bilbao Athletic | 73 | (6) |
| 2014–2021 | Athletic Bilbao | 78 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | → Leganés (loan) | 23 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | → Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 39 | (3) |
| 2021– | Rayo Vallecano | 156 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 2011 | Spain U16 | 5 | (2) |
| 2013 | Spain U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Spain U19 | 12 | (3) |
| 2014 | Spain U21 | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:03, 27 May 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Born in Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, López joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 2011 at the age of 14 from neighbouring Real Sociedad, after starting out at Antiguoko.[2][3] He made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the 2012–13 season in the Tercera División, and in July 2013 was promoted to the reserves in the Segunda División B.[4]
López was called up to the main squad by manager Ernesto Valverde on 2 July 2014, for pre-season matches.[5] In August, he was also included in a B list for that campaign's UEFA Champions League.[6]
On 27 August 2014, López was named on the bench for the Champions League play-off match against SSC Napoli.[7] He made his first-team debut the following day, coming on as a substitute for Markel Susaeta in the 72nd minute of a 3–1 home win and also providing an assist to Ibai Gómez in the last goal.[8] His La Liga bow took place on the 30th, when he featured 23 minutes in the 3–0 defeat of Levante UD also at the San Mamés Stadium.[9]
On 26 July 2016, after a season back at the B side in the Segunda División, López was loaned to CD Leganés for one year.[10] On 1 August of the following year, he moved to second tier club Rayo Vallecano on a one-year loan deal.[11]
López scored his first competitive goal for Athletic on 8 March 2020, from a free kick to open a 4–1 away league victory over Real Valladolid.[12] He featured regularly during the 2019–20 campaign, but subsequently fell down the pecking order after the emergence of newer youth prospects such as Oihan Sancet, Unai Vencedor and Oier Zarraga.[13]
On 31 August 2021, López returned to Rayo on a three-year contract;[14] Athletic retained a first refusal clause on any future transfer, while also receiving "a series of economic compensations".[15]
International career
López represented Spain at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.[16] He made his debut for the last of those age groups on 9 September 2014, in a 1–1 home draw against Austria for the 2015 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[17]
Career statistics
- As of match played 17 May 2026[18]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2012–13 | Tercera División | 21 | 2 | — | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 33 | 4 | — | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2015–16 | Segunda División | 40 | 2 | — | — | 40 | 2 | |||
| Total | 73 | 6 | — | — | 73 | 6 | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2014–15 | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 26 | 1 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 26 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 31 | 3 | ||
| Total | 78 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 93 | 4 | ||
| Leganés (loan) | 2016–17 | La Liga | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 24 | 2 | |
| Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 2017–18 | Segunda División | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 40 | 3 | |
| Rayo Vallecano | 2021–22 | La Liga | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 32 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 3 | ||
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12[c] | 2 | 42 | 2 | |
| Total | 156 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 181 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 390 | 22 | 26 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 432 | 24 | ||
- Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
- Includes appearance in 2020 Copa del Rey final (played in 2021)
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League