Paulino Alcántara, Spain footballer: Profile, Career, News & Videos

Paulino Alcántara was a Filipino and Spanish professional football player and manager, and doctor who played as a forward. He spent most of his playing career at FC Barcelona, and also represented Catalonia, the Philippines and Spain internationally.

Alcántara made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 15, and remains the youngest player to play or score for the club. He scored 395 goals in 399 matches, a club record that stood for 87 years. He also won a total of 19 trophies including 10 Catalan leagues, 5 Copa del Rey, 2 Pyrenees Cup and 2 Philippine league championship titles during his 15 year career. After retiring as a player in 1927 at the age of 31, he became a doctor and was also a prominent figure in Spanish politics during the 1930s, having been a member of a fascist political group, while serving as both a military soldier and a doctor. Alcántara also served as club director of Barcelona between 1931 and 1934. In 1951, Alcántara became a coach and managed Spain for three games.

In 2007, he was officially recognized by FIFA as one of the greatest football strikers in the 20th century and in the history of football, and the best Asian footballer of all time.