Isco made history in the Champions League, becoming the first player to compete in Europe’s top club competition with five different teams from the same country.
The 34-year-old Spaniard achieved this remarkable feat by playing in Betis’ 3-2 victory over Lille in France, in the tournament’s opener for the 2026–27 season. He thus added Betis to the list of Spanish clubs for which he has played in the Champions League, following Valencia, Málaga, Real Madrid, and Sevilla.
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To date, no other soccer player had played for five different teams from a single country in the competition. Hernán Crespo, Stéphane Dalmat, Hatem Ben Arfa, Burak Yilmaz, and Raheem Sterling had all stopped at four.
Isco’s first appearance in the Champions League came 16 years ago, when, at the age of 18, he played for Valencia. This was followed by his impressive run with Málaga during the 2012–13 season, when the Spanish team reached the quarterfinals, and he had one of the best European seasons of his career.
His performances that season, combined with his appearance at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, paved the way for his transfer to Real Madrid. With the “Merengues,” he experienced the greatest moments of his career, winning a total of five Champions League titles in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
He later played for Sevilla, making six appearances in the competition, before continuing his career at Betis. Wearing the Andalusian team’s jersey, he has now returned to the Champions League, bringing his total to 79 appearances, with 10 goals and 13 assists.
This historic night was also marked by a major “double” for Betis. Lille took the lead twice at the “Pierre-Mauroy” Stadium, but Manuel Pellegrini’s team found a way to respond and completed an impressive comeback.
The French side opened the scoring in the 12th minute, with Bartra equalizing in the 33rd, before Lille retook the lead three minutes later. In the second half, however, the Andalusians turned the game around. Bartra made it 2-2 in the 49th minute, following an assist from Isco, and shortly afterward, Troy Parrott completed the comeback to make it 3-2.
Lille was reduced to ten men in the 56th minute, with Betis managing its lead and leaving France with three crucial points.
*photo source: AP
