Marcos Llorente comes from a footballing family: his father Paco and grandfather Ramón Grosso both played for Real Madrid, and he too came through the club’s academy. He won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2018, mostly as a squad player.
His move across the city to Atlético Madrid in 2019 transformed his career. Diego Simeone moved him from defensive midfield into more attacking positions, and in 2020/21 he scored and created goals regularly as Atlético won La Liga.
Since then Llorente has played almost everywhere for Atlético, including at right-back. His stamina and speed are exceptional, and he is known for an unusually disciplined approach to fitness and diet.
Playing style
Llorente is one of the most physically gifted players in Spain. His stamina and speed allow him to cover the whole pitch, and Diego Simeone has used him as a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, winger, wing-back and striker. His best spell came when he was moved forward, where his runs from deep and his finishing brought goals and assists. He is also known for his professional approach to fitness and diet, which has helped him maintain his level into his thirties.
International career
Llorente made his Spain debut in 2021 and was part of the squad at Euro 2020, where Spain reached the semi-finals. He has continued to be called up occasionally, valued for his versatility.
Career in numbers
Across 12 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2015/16, Llorente has played 385 matches and scored 39 goals for 3 clubs. The 2020/21 season, with 13 goals from 45 matches for Atlético Madrid, remains his highest tally. His busiest campaign was 2023/24, with 52 appearances. So far in 2026/27 he has 1 goal in 8 appearances for Atlético Madrid. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.