Alejandro Balde talks Jordi Alba, Marcos Alonso, World Cup dream

Alejandro Balde has been a revelation for FC Barcelona this season. From being a youth player at Barça Athletic, the youngster has become the first-choice left-back for the senior side in a matter of months.

During his rapid rise to prominence, Balde has been able to move ahead of players such as Jordi Alba and Marcos Alonso in the pecking order.

Balde has opened up on the team competitions at Barcelona in a recent interview. He hailed Jordi Alba in the process while voicing his desire to play for Spain in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

“Competition is always good and makes us all better. It is an honor to share a position with two players in the category of Alba and Alonso,” he said in an interview with TV3.

Balde has racked up over 1,000 minutes of football in all competitions this season, which is far more than Alonso and Alba. But the youngster holds Alba, in particular, in high regard, adding, “For me, Jordi Alba is a reference. He gives me a lot of good advice.”

The 19-year-old went on to talk about his skillset as a player, especially when it comes to going forward. He also talked about his versatility, having been deployed as a right-back a few times by Xavi Hernandez this season.

“I have offensive potential, but there is still a lot of room for improvement defensively,” Balde said. “It’s a challenge that gives me experience, as players we have to be ready wherever the team needs us.”

Finally, Balde suggests it would be a dream come true for him to be selected for the Spanish national team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, adding, “To play the World Cup in Qatar would be a dream.”

Balde is yet to receive a maiden cap for Spain so far in his career. However, we have witnessed last-minute calls by national team coaches in the past, including Christoph Kramer’s selection in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. And as we gear up for next week’s final selection, it will be interesting to see who gets the final nod in Luis Enrique’s squad.

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