Borja Sainz Eguskiza (born 1 February 2001) is a Spanish professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

left winger In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

for

Primeira Liga The Primeira Liga (), also known as Liga Portugal Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Portugal and the highest level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga ...

club

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

Club career

Alavés

Born in

Leioa Leioa () is a municipality in Biscay, Basque Country, in northern Spain. It is located south of Getxo and Berango delimitating east and south with Erandio, Portugalete and Sestao. Today it is part of the Bilbao conurbation. Its population in 2019 ...

Biscay Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...

, Basque Country, Spain, Sainz joined

Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...

Lezama Lezama is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It is home to the training headquarters of the football team Athletic Bilbao, and is accessible by bus - Bizka ...

in 2012, from lowly locals Lagun Artea. In August 2017, he signed for Alavés after refusing a contract renewal from the Lions. On 2 September 2018, Sainz made his senior debut with the reserves at the age of just 17, playing the last three minutes in a 3–0

Tercera División Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...

home win against San Pedro. He scored his first senior goal on 7 October in a 2–0 home defeat of

Beasain Beasain is a town and municipality located in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, northern Spain. It has an important industry of railway vehicles and related equipment ( CAF) that ...

, and finished the campaign with five goals in 18 appearances. Sainz made his first team – and

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...

– debut on 25 August 2019, coming on as a second-half substitute for

Luis Rioja Luis Jesús Rioja González (born 16 October 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger and left back for Valencia CF. Career Rioja was born in Las Cabezas de San Juan, Seville, Andalusia, and was a CD Cabecense you ...

in a 0–0 home draw against

Espanyol Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (; "Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona"), commonly known as RCD Espanyol, is a Spanish professional sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The club competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spa ...

; by doing so, he became the first player of the 21st century to appear for the senior side. He scored his first goal in the category on 18 June of the following year, netting the opener in a 2–0 home defeat of

Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad ( ; ''Royal Society'') in English, and Erreala or Reala in Basque language, Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Donostia / San Sebastián, ...

. On 5 August 2021, Sainz was loaned to

Segunda División The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...

side

Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. (), commonly referred to as Zaragoza, is a football club based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, that currently competes in the Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish football league system, Spanish league system. Zarag ...

for the season.

Giresunspor

On 28 July 2022, Sainz moved abroad for the first time in his career after signing for

Giresunspor Giresunspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional football club based in Giresun. History Giresunspor was founded in 1925 and re-formed in 1967 after the merger of Yeşiltepespor, Akıngençlikspor, and Beşiktaşspor. The football club is playing ...

in Turkey.

Norwich City

On 30 June 2023, Sainz signed for

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

club

Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...

on a three-year contract following his departure from Giresunspor. Sainz scored on his debut for Norwich in an

EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

tie against

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

on 27 September 2023. Sainz also scored for Norwich in an

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

tie against

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

on 28 January 2024. Following a strong start to the 2024–25 season, scoring four goals in three matches, including a hat-trick against

Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...

, he was named

EFL Championship Player of the Month The EFL Championship Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the player adjudged the best for each month of the season in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Originally named the Football L ...

for September 2024. He won the award for a second consecutive month following a further four goals and two assists. Sainz scored his second hat-trick of the season on 26 November with three goals against

Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. The club has played ...

Carrow Road Carrow Road is a association football, football stadium in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and is the home of EFL Championship club Norwich City F.C., Norwich City. The stadium is east of the city, near Norwich railway station and the River Wensum. ...

. Following an incident in a fixture against

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

on 21 December 2024, Sainz was charged by the Football Association in January 2025 of "spitting at an opponent", subsequently receiving a six-match ban and being fined £12,000. At the EFL awards for the 202425 season, Sainz was named in the EFL team of the season.

Porto

On 13 July 2025, Sainz signed for

side

, for a reported transfer fee of £14.25m.

Career statistics

Honours

Individual *

: September 2024, October 2024 * EFL Championship Team of the Season: 2024–25

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sainz, Borja 2001 births Living people People from Leioa Footballers from Biscay Spanish men's footballers Men's association football wingers La Liga players Segunda División players Segunda División B players Tercera División players Süper Lig players English Football League players Deportivo Alavés B players Deportivo Alavés players Real Zaragoza players Giresunspor footballers Norwich City F.C. players FC Porto players Spain men's youth international footballers Spanish expatriate men's footballers Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England Expatriate men's footballers in England Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Portugal Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal 21st-century Spanish sportsmen