Álvaro Carreras grew up in Ferrol, Galicia, and began at Real Madrid’s academy before moving to Manchester United as a teenager.
After loans at Preston North End and Granada, he joined Benfica in 2024, where he established himself as one of the best young left-backs in Europe. Real Madrid brought him back in 2025.
Carreras has been capped by Spain.
Playing style
Carreras is an attacking left-back with good pace, dribbling and crossing ability. He is comfortable on the ball in tight spaces, and his defensive work has improved considerably. After leaving Real Madrid’s academy as a teenager for Manchester United, he never broke into United’s first team, but loans at Preston and Granada and then a permanent move to Benfica transformed his career. His return to Real Madrid completed an unusual journey.
International career
Carreras has been capped by Spain and has become one of the options at left-back for the national team.
Career in numbers
Carreras’s senior club career, which began in 2022/23, has so far brought 169 appearances and 8 goals for 4 clubs. His best scoring return came in 2024/25: 4 goals in 52 appearances for Benfica. So far in 2026/27 he has 1 goal in 5 appearances for Real Madrid. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.