Thiago Petarch: Who is Real Madrid’s newest wonder player and record breaker?

Born in Fuenlabrada, in the Madrid region, Petarc grew up fully immersed in Spanish football, progressing through the local academies before joining Real Madrid’s famous La Fabrica system.

He holds dual Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the option of representing either country at the high international level.

Under FIFA eligibility rules, players can represent multiple countries at youth level without being permanently restricted, with the final decision only binding once they have appeared in a competitive senior international match.

Petarch participated with Spain at youth level, where he represented the U-19 and U-20 national teams, and participated in the 2025 U-20 World Cup, where Spain reached the quarter-finals.

Despite this, he has not yet committed to any of the major national teams, which are watching his rise with interest.

In a recent interview, Petarch confirmed: “I haven’t made my final decision yet. Things are great with Spain, but I will make a decision soon.”

His situation mirrors that of other dual nationality talents such as his Real Madrid teammate Brahim Diaz and Barcelona striker Lamine Yamal. While 18-year-old Yamal chose Spain, Diaz chose to represent Morocco.

For now, Petarc’s focus is on cementing his place in the Real Madrid squad and giving back to Arbeloa.

He played 74 minutes in the 2-1 win over City, which sealed a 5-1 aggregate win and draw with Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

He was replaced by another academy player, Manuel Ángel, to underscore Arbeloa’s confidence in the young players to help the club achieve success in the future.

Having made his impressive impact so far on European football’s biggest stage, Petarc is expected to play a key role in that.

“Arbeloa treats me the same way. We deal with it very naturally. I try not to think about it too much – I have to earn my minutes on the field,” he said after the win at Etihad Stadium.