8 Interesting Martín Zubimendi Facts You Might Not Know, but definitely should

Full Name: Martín Zubimendi Ibáñez

Date of Birth: 2 February 1999

Place of Birth: San Sebastián, Spain

Height: 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)

Position(s): Defensive midfielder

Current Club: Real Sociedad

Jersey Number: 4

Very few players glide through a club’s system like Martín Zubimendi has at Real Sociedad, and even fewer leave with their head held high and Europe queuing at the door.

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From his youth days to becoming the metronome of La Real’s midfield, his rise hasn’t been meteoric, it’s been methodical, and quietly magnificent. As Zubimendi prepares to call time on his Real Sociedad journey, clubs across the continent are circling like hawks. But before his next chapter kicks off, it’s worth rewinding the tape.

Here are 8 Martín Zubimendi Facts You Might Not Know — but Definitely Should

1. He was Born in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country

Martín Zubimendi didn’t just pop into the world anywhere, he was born in San Sebastián, the heart of the Basque Country, on February 2, 1999. Not exactly a city known for holding back when it comes to passion, culture, or football, for that matter.

This wasn’t just any birthplace, it was a blueprint. He had Real Sociedad running through his veins before he even knew what a midfield pivot was. And Let’s face it, what better setting for a kid who’d end up controlling games with the calm of a man sipping coffee in a hurricane?

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2. His Football Career Began at Youth Academy Antiguoko Before Joining Real Sociedad

Before Real Sociedad got their hooks in him, Zubimendi was shaping his craft with Antiguoko, a club known in Spain as a youth-talent factory. Between 2006 and 2013, he played in the Donosti Cup, a breeding ground for Basque brilliance.

It’s the kind of place where players don’t just learn how to pass, they learn how to dominate. By 2011, Real Sociedad had seen enough. He joined their academy and, boom, the gears started turning.

3. He Made His La Liga debut Against Getafe

April 28, 2019. That was the date. A pretty quiet spring day in San Sebastián... until it wasn’t. Real Sociedad were facing Getafe, and with just minutes left on the clock, Zubimendi came off the bench to replace Rubén Pardo.

It was his La Liga debut, no ticker-tape parade, no heroic volley, but there it was: the first top-flight step for a player, who would become indispensable. Wild to think that a few minutes of football can feel like the whole world shifting, right? But for Martín, it was the door creaking open, and he walked right through.

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4. His First European and La Liga Goal Came Within A Month

Here’s one for the timelines. February 24, 2022: Zubimendi bags his first European goal, curling one in at home, albeit during a 3–1 loss to RB Leipzig in the Europa League. Ouch.

Fast-forward less than three weeks and, bam!, he’s scoring again, this time in La Liga. March 13, 2022: a tidy finish seals a 1–0 win over Alavés. Two very different stages, same cool head. That period? He was putting his stamp on games. One foot in Spain, the other across Europe.

5. He Represents Spain Internationally, Graduating From U17

You know you've made it in Spanish football when La Roja come calling, and Zubimendi didn’t skip any steps. He came through the ranks, first featuring for the U17s and then working his way up the age groups like a student ticking off finals.

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He made his senior debut in an impromptu lineup in June 2021, remember that bizarre moment when COVID ruled out the main squad and Spain fielded the U21s against Lithuania?

Zubimendi seized that weird, chaotic opportunity with grace. Fast-forward to Euro 2024, and there he was again, in Luis de La Fuente's squad, off the bench, and eventually part of the team that won the competition in Germany. Vamos!

6. He Turned Down A Move to join Liverpool in the summer of 2024

Ah yes, the summer of "What if?" When Jürgen Klopp left Liverpool in 2024, and Arne Slot took over, the Reds went hunting for midfield reinforcements. Zubimendi was firmly on their radar, and who could blame them?

But Martín? He said no. In a refreshingly honest chat with El Diario Vasco, he laid it bare: “I wanted the decision to be mine alone.” And it was. “They were uncomfortable moments,” he admitted, and boy, we believe it. The pull of the Premier League? Strong. But his pull toward Real Sociedad at the time? Even stronger.

7. He is A Deep-Lying Midfielder

Zubimendi doesn’t chase headlines, he dictates tempo. As a deep-lying midfielder, he plays the role football romantics swoon over: press-resistant, positionally elegant, and criminally underrated. He reads the pitch properly and kills danger with a surgical pass. Not flashy, not noisy, but indispensable.

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Think Sergio Busquets with just a touch more vertical bite. His calm under pressure is top class. How does he always know where the ball’s going? Magic? Nope. Just footballing IQ and the kind of mental gears that don’t rust under pressure.

8. He Shares the Same Agent 'Iñaki Ibáñez,' with Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola

If football were a dinner party, Zubimendi’s name on Iñaki Ibáñez’s client list is like being seated between Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola, no pressure, right? Same agent, same legacy lane.

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This isn’t just about paperwork and phone calls. It’s a signal. Ibáñez doesn’t just represent players, he represents Basque brilliance. And if you’re in that company, it’s because you’ve got vision, steel, and the kind of footballing brain that’ll outlast your legs.