Gavi - biography, stats, age, weight, height

Gavi Biography

Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, known as Gavi, was born on August 5, 2004, in Los Palacios y Villafranca (Seville, Andalusia). He began playing football at home club La Liara Balompié, then moved to the Real Betis academy, where he stood out for his phenomenal scoring ability in youth teams - scoring 95 goals for the club's youth side.

In 2015, at the age of 11, Gavi signed with Barcelona. In September 2020 he signed his first professional contract and received a very rare promotion in the academy: he was moved directly from U-16 to U-19. In February 2021 he made his debut for Barcelona B, and by spring he was regularly appearing in the starting lineup of the reserve team.

Before the 2021/22 season Gavi joined the first team for preseason and quickly established himself in Ronald Koeman's squad. On August 29, 2021 he played his first official match for the senior team, and on December 18 he scored his debut goal and made an assist in a match against Elche.

During the 2022/23 season he became a key player: in January 2023, in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid, he scored and provided two assists, earning the Man of the Match award. There was also a legal story surrounding his contract and La Liga registration: the agreement until 2026 was first accepted, then a court ruled it invalid due to salary cap restrictions. After that, the club completed his registration as a first team player and confirmed a contract until 2026 with a €1 billion release clause. On January 31, 2025, Gavi extended his contract with Barcelona until 2030.

Gavi's career during this period was interrupted by a serious injury. In November 2023 he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear and a meniscus injury in his right knee and was sidelined for almost a year. He returned to training on September 12, 2024, and in October returned to the pitch after 348 days out - in a match against Sevilla. At the end of October he also appeared in El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu. In January 2025 he scored in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Athletic Club and helped the team win the trophy.

During the 2025/26 season he began appearing more often from the bench, but in early September 2025 he underwent surgery due to a medial meniscus injury in his right knee. As of December 2025 he continues his recovery, with the club targeting February 2026 for his return.

Gavi made his debut for the Spain national team in October 2021 after receiving a surprise call-up from Luis Enrique, becoming the youngest player in the history of the national team. In June 2022 he scored his first goal for Spain, also becoming the youngest scorer in the team's history. At the 2022 World Cup he played in all four matches and scored against Costa Rica, becoming the third-youngest scorer in World Cup history (after Pelé and Manuel Rosas). In October 2023 his goal against Norway helped Spain qualify for Euro 2024, but in November he suffered an injury that forced him to miss Euro 2024 and the 2024 Olympic Games.

Gavi Personal Life

Gavi comes from a small town in Andalusia and from an early age stood out for his character and discipline. He tends to avoid publicity outside football and rarely talks about his personal life.

In 2025 Spanish media reported about his possible relationship with influencer Ana Pelayo - this was discussed after their public appearances during Barcelona's La Liga title celebrations.

Interesting Facts About Gavi

• In the Real Betis academy he scored 95 goals - an extremely rare figure for a player who later became a central midfielder in professional football.
• He was promoted in the Barcelona system from U-16 directly to U-19 - an unusual jump even for La Masia.
• He received Barcelona's number 6 shirt previously worn by Xavi, but due to legal issues with his registration he temporarily returned to youth team status and number 30.
• Became the youngest player and youngest goal scorer in the history of the Spain national team.
• At the 2022 World Cup he became one of the three youngest scorers in the history of the tournament.

Gavi Statistics

Club Statistics

Total Club Career

• Matches: 157
• Goals: 10

Spain National Team Appearances

Total for National Team

• Matches: 28
• Goals: 5

Matches and Goals for Spain

• Debut: October 6, 2021 vs Italy (Nations League)
• First goal: June 5, 2022 vs Czech Republic (Nations League)

Overall National Team Statistics

• Matches: 28
• Goals: 5
• Wins: 20
• Draws: 3
• Losses: 5

Total Career Statistics (club + national team)

• Matches: 185
• Goals: 15

Gavi Controversies

Gavi is not considered a footballer constantly surrounded by major scandals. However, there have been some episodes in his career that sparked discussion.

Most criticism is related to his very tough and aggressive playing style: opponents and some experts have noted that he often plays on the edge of fouls and receives yellow cards.

In addition, disputes periodically arose around his contract registration with Barcelona in 2023, when due to the club's financial restrictions in La Liga a legal conflict appeared regarding the possibility of registering his new contract with the first team. The media also occasionally discusses his emotional reactions on the pitch and conflicts during matches with opponents, but there have been no serious disciplinary or off-field scandals in his career.