When coach Carlo Ancelotti called 21-year-old Gonzalo to train with the first team last season, the young talent knew exactly who he needed to learn from. "I watched Mbappe in training and matches, he's truly different," the prodigy once said about his senior teammate.

For Gonzalo, just moving up from Castilla – the club's youth team – to the first team was a huge leap, as Real Madrid rarely promotes homegrown talent. Joining the team in the US for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was even more than a dream, as it only became a reality for him due to two factors: Mbappe's acute appendicitis requiring hospitalization and ruling him out of the group stage, and Endrick recovering over 7,000 km away.

Forward Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring the opening goal in Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in their opening Group H match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on 18/6. Photo: AFP

Forward Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring the opening goal in Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in their opening Group H match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on 18/6. Photo: AFP

And Gonzalo seized this rare opportunity. In the opening match against Al Hilal, he scored the opening goal, also Real's first under new coach Xabi Alonso, and was named player of the match. By the end of the group stage, Gonzalo had started all three matches, scoring two goals and providing one assist. According to Statsbomb, before the round of 16, Gonzalo was the most dangerous player created on average per match, with an expected goals (xG) of 0.87. With each match, the name Gonzalo Garcia became more familiar to fans, who chanted his name during pre-game team announcements.

"I understand Gonzalo very well, I've closely followed Castilla, so I'm not surprised. He's a typical center-forward, always working hard and being in the right place at the right time. Gonzalo reminds me of Raul in many ways, from his positioning to his work ethic," Alonso said of his young player before the match against Juventus.

Gonzalo joined Real's La Fabrica academy in 2014 at the age of 10, after being spotted by scouts from the Jarama Race training center in Madrid. Gonzalo's family was anxious, but Jarama Race director Jose Guerrero, a friend of his father, advised them to be patient and wait for Real. Being Real Madrid fans, they listened, waited, and the door eventually opened.

"The most important thing is that he has a goalscoring instinct," Hernan Perez Cuesta, Gonzalo's coach in the Juvenil A team at Valdebebas during the 2021-2022 season and current coach of the Spain U17 team, told El Pais. "That's something you can't train."

He recalled the moment he discovered Gonzalo's talent. The youngster appeared in the squad a year earlier than his peers and was deployed as a left winger. Gonzalo played various positions in the youth teams, even being tried as a right back. This is why Gonzalo didn't score more than 10 goals per season in his early years at Real's youth teams.

Gonzalo Garcia during his trial as a right-back for Real Madrid's Juvenil A team. Photo: Real Madrid

Gonzalo Garcia during his trial as a right-back for Real Madrid's Juvenil A team. Photo: Real Madrid

But from the summer of 2021, Gonzalo began to be moved closer to the goal. "At that time, people still saw Gonzalo as a winger, but we tried him as a center-forward because we saw his scoring ability. We had to get him closer to the goal," Hernan continued.

After Hernan left in the summer of 2022, former Real and Liverpool player Alvaro Arbeloa took over as Juvenil A coach. He continued to use Gonzalo in a similar role, further developing his strengths and improving his weaknesses. Gonzalo scored 35 goals in the 2022-2023 season, contributing significantly to Juvenil A's historic treble at the youth level.

Marc Cucalon, Gonzalo's former teammate at Real's youth team and once tipped to become the next Xabi Alonso but had to retire at 19 due to a serious knee injury, was impressed when recalling his peer. "Gonzalo was always highly focused. A model student with top marks and excelled in everything. He always gave his all. Even in friendlies, he treated them like Champions League finals. And when playing PlayStation, the same," Cucalon told The Athletic.

Gonzalo's determination is so great that when he's focused on something, he rarely smiles, only concentrating on training and playing. At the same time, Gonzalo is always straightforward, not holding anything back.

In the 2023 Copa de Campeones de Juvenil final – Spanish football's biggest youth competition – Gonzalo made a defensive error from a corner, leading to a goal against Real Betis. At halftime, he declared in the dressing room that he would make amends, which he did with a brace, helping Real's youth team win 3-1.

That impressive form led Gonzalo to Real Madrid Castilla – the team led by legend Raul Gonzalez. After an acclimatization season with only 5 goals, Gonzalo set an all-time record with 25 goals in Primera RFEF – the Spanish third division – in the 2024-2025 season, accounting for almost half of the team's 58 goals. On average, he scored every four shots.

Gonzalo receives a shirt commemorating his record of 25 goals for Real Madrid Castilla in Primera RFEF in the 2024-2025 season. Photo: Real Madrid

Gonzalo receives a shirt commemorating his record of 25 goals for Real Madrid Castilla in Primera RFEF in the 2024-2025 season. Photo: Real Madrid

Gonzalo made his first-team debut for Real at the end of 2023, away to Cadiz in LaLiga. However, it wasn't until February 2024 that he gained wider attention. In the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganes at the Butarque stadium, after leading 2-0, Real were unexpectedly pegged back to 2-2. Gonzalo was brought on by Ancelotti in the 82nd minute and in the 93rd minute, the young striker headed home from Brahim Diaz's cross, sending Real into the semi-finals.

"I spoke to Brahim in a previous play," Gonzalo recalled. "I told him 'whenever you get close to the touchline, just cross it in'. Brahim agreed and told me to be ready. And I was there." Brahim's cross was perfect, but Gonzalo, at 1.82 meters tall, still showed impressive jumping ability.

According to coach Hernan, Gonzalo is a heading specialist, despite being shorter than 1.92-meter Joselu. "He masters the heading technique. His lower body is very strong, his thighs and calves are incredibly powerful. Gonzalo is brave, heads the ball well, positions himself accurately, and jumps impressively," Hernan continued to El Pais.

Another of Gonzalo's strengths is his distinctiveness. Instead of exploiting space like many other strikers, he hones his heading skills, which many stars lack. "He possesses the talent of the best, and knows how to make a difference with his heading ability. This is very useful for Real, especially in deadlocked situations where the opponent defends in numbers. They lack a heading specialist," Hernan added.

Endrick is only 1.73m tall, and none of Mbappe's 43 goals for Real last season came from headers. This is why Real were reportedly looking for a Joselu-type striker – capable of making an impact in the box, accepting a substitute role, and not demanding a large investment – in this summer's transfer window. But with Gonzalo, they may already have the ideal solution.

Gonzalo Garcia jumps high for a header during Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in Group H of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on 18/6. Photo: AFP

Gonzalo Garcia jumps high for a header during Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in Group H of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on 18/6. Photo: AFP

In addition to his physicality and talent, Hernan believes Gonzalo has another quality that helps him constantly improve: "The best thing is that he's very intelligent, receptive, like a sponge. He's a very good student," he said. Gonzalo is currently pursuing a double degree in Business Administration and Business Analytics specializing in big data at Villanueva University.

When asked after the match with Al Hilal whether he thought he would succeed at the Bernabeu, Gonzalo replied, "Of course I believe it. That's what I'm working towards and have been working towards since I joined La Fabrica." If Gonzalo continues to live his American dream, he may continue to convince everyone.

Compiled by Hoang Thong