A retrospective look at the career of the Alicante-born goalkeeper who stepped in as the replacement for the German shot-stopper among Barcelona’s trio of custodians.
Iñaki Peña could be pressed into duty for FC Barcelona as Marc-André Ter Stegen rests, with the team set to face Rayo Vallecano on matchday 14 of La Liga in Vallecas.
It could mark Peña’s sixth appearance guarding Barça’s goal, a rarity given he has only appeared five times for the Blaugrana, all during the 2022/23 season: two league caps, one in the Champions League, and three in the Copa del Rey.
Who is Iñaki Peña, Ter Stegen’s backup? Clean sheets, goals conceded in Barcelona, and teams he has represented
Born in Alicante in 1999, Peña joined Barcelona from Villarreal in the youth ranks in 2012. In his first season, he earned a league title with the youth teams and repeated this success as he advanced through the ranks, culminating in a notable contribution to the Youth League during the 2017/18 season.
His steady form between the sticks earned him a place with Barça B in the 2018/19 season. Since then, Peña has alternated between the second team and the first team depending on the club’s needs, contributing to the Copa del Rey triumph of the 2020/21 campaign. In the following season, 2021/22, he went on loan to Galatasaray in the winter window in search of more minutes. After the loan concluded, he returned and began to build a first-team presence in early 2023.
The 2022/23 season stands out as Peña’s breakthrough year with the first team: on November 1, 2022, he made his Barça debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage, playing the full 90 minutes in the 2-4 victory away to Viktoria Plzeň. His league debut arrived later that season, on May 23, 2023, at Valladolid’s José Zorrilla Stadium as Barcelona sealed the title with an emphatic finish to the campaign.
Technical profile
Barcelona’s official profile highlights Peña’s reliability and composure in goal. He is noted for a solid aerial presence and strong handling on drives, paired with the willingness to push and clear long balls with accurate starts to plays. Leadership is another defining trait, something he has demonstrated from the younger ages through to the first team. When in possession, he tends to use his right foot confidently and shows patience when distributing from the back.
Five appearances for Barcelona
- His debut came in the Champions League on November 1, 2022, a 2-4 win away against Viktoria Plzeň, where he played the full 90 minutes.
- The second appearance arrived in the Copa del Rey on January 4, 2023, a match against Intercity that Barcelona edged out 4-3 after extra time.
- Two weeks later, Peña featured in a 0-5 league victory over Ceuta.
- The fourth appearance marked his first taste of domestic cup competition in an early-season cap: he played 45 minutes against Valladolid in a 3-1 defeat on matchday 36 of the 2022–23 season, with Barça already crowned champions for the league that year. Ter Stegen had started the first two goals conceded in that game.
- His fifth outing came on June 4, during matchday 38 of La Liga, in a 2-1 loss to Celta Vigo, where Peña only played the final 27 minutes and conceded the visitors’ second goal.
From these performances, Peña’s numbers at Barcelona show a concession every 53 minutes across 371 minutes of action, with one clean sheet in five appearances, yielding three wins and two losses.
Note: This summary reflects Peña’s trajectory and match records during his time with Barcelona, drawing on match reports and club records. (Goal)