Who is Thiago Pitarch - Real Madrid's latest wonderkid?

Pitarch was born in Fuenlabrada, in the Madrid region, and grew up fully immersed in Spanish football, progressing through local academies before joining Real Madrid's renowned La Fabrica system.

He holds dual Spanish and Moroccan nationality, giving him the option to represent either country at senior international level.

Under Fifa eligibility rules, players may represent multiple nations at youth level without being permanently tied, with the final decision only binding once they appear in a competitive senior international match.

Pitarch has featured for Spain at youth level, representing both the under-19 and under-20 sides, and took part in the 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup, where Spain reached the quarter-finals.

Despite this, he has yet to commit to either senior national team, who are monitoring his rise with interest.

In a recent interview, Pitarch confirmed: "I haven't made my final decision yet. Things are great with Spain, but I'll make a decision soon."

His situation mirrors that of other dual nationality talents such as Real team-mate Brahim Diaz and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. While 18-year-old Yamal chose Spain, Diaz opted to represent Morocco.

For now, Pitarch's focus is on establishing himself in the Real side and repaying Arbeloa's faith.

He played 74 minutes in the 2-1 win at City, which sealed a 5-1 aggregate success and last-eight tie with Bayern Munich.

He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel to emphasise Arbeloa's trust in younger players to help the club pursue future success.

Following his impressive impact so far on European football's biggest stage, Pitarch is expected to play a key role in that.

"Arbeloa treats me the same. We handle it very naturally. I try not to think about it too much - I have to earn my minutes on the field," he said after the win at Etihad Stadium.