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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Fil-Spanish footballer turns heads in Barcelona debut

Fil-Spanish footballer turns heads in Barcelona debut

Published Jul 30, 2025 03:21 pm

At A Glance

  • Filipino-Spanish player Dro Fernández made a good impression for FC Barcelona after scoring a late goal against Vissel Kobe in a friendly match in Japan over the weekend.
Filipino-Spanish footballer Dro Fernández (FC Barcelona)
Filipino-Spanish footballer Dro Fernández (FC Barcelona)
Filipino-Spanish player Dro Fernández made a good impression for FC Barcelona after scoring a late goal against Vissel Kobe in a friendly match in Japan over the weekend.
The 17-year-old footballer turned heads after helping the Blaugrana pull off a 3-1 victory against the Japanese side, delivering the goal at the 87th minute with rising stars Roony Bardghji listing the first two in a span of 10 minutes
More impressive, Fernandez, whose mother is a Filipina, was only a late substitute for the world-famous football club known for producing stars like the legendary Lionel Mesi.
Fernandez, a Galicia, Spain native, is currently a member of the Barcelona U19 squad and has a live contract until 2027.
With his superb introduction, fans couldn’t help but to compare the former La Masia star to Paulino Alcántara, a Filipino-Spanish player from Concepcion, IloIlo who made his debut for Barcelona at the very young age of 15. 
Alcántara, who played extensively for Barcelona in the 1920s, was regarded by FIFA as one of the greatest football strikers in history and considered by many as the best player from Asia.

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