Spanish giants Real Madrid have reached the semifinals of the Club World Cup, set to face off against UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday.
Two of the best Blancos performers at the tournament are a pair of previously unheralded backups who are making the most of their chance to shine.
Defender Fran Garcia and striker Gonzalo Garcia have both played significant minutes and are contributing at a high rate. Fran has started all five matches thus far and played every minute, scoring a goal and assisting another, while Gonzalo also started every game, scoring four goals and assisting one.
Their similar name, striking resemblance, and the fact they play for the same club has raised questions about their possible relation. The Sporting News explains where they come from and how they’ve enjoyed playing together.
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Are Fran Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia related?
Despite having similar names, and even bearing a resemblance, Fran Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia are not related.
Left-back Fran Garcia, whose full name is Francisco Jose Garcia Torres, was born in Bolanos de Calatrava, which is slightly over two hours south of Madrid. Meanwhile, Gonzalo Garcia Torres, who is four years younger, was born in Madrid proper.
In the case of each player, Garcia is their paternal surname — the one used more commonly in Spanish naming conventions — while Torres is the maternal family name.
Both have come through the Real Madrid youth system, and adding to the aura, their resemblance is quite striking.
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Gonzalo Garcia and Fran Garcia explode at Club World Cup
Both Garcias have been fantastic at the Club World Cup, becoming key contributors in Xabi Alonso’s first competition in charge of Real Madrid.
Gonzalo Garcia started up front in place of Kylian Mbappe, who was missing due to a nasty bout of gastroenteritis that put him in hospital and left him out of the group stage. Mbappe returned for the knockout stage, but with Garcia playing so well in his stead, Alonso was able to ease back his French superstar slowly.
The 21-year-old has been compared to former Real Madrid striker Raul, who made over 500 appearances for the club and scored over 200 goals. It’s a lofty comparison, but one Alonso himself was happy to make.
“Being compared to a Real Madrid legend like Raul is more than just a compliment,” said Garcia after the Borussia Dortmund win in the Club World Cup. “I can only hope to achieve even half of what he did wearing this shirt. I’m truly honored to be compared to a Real Madrid great.”
Fran Garcia, meanwhile, has also been given extra time on the field thanks to an injury, with Ferland Mendy missing significant time with a muscle tear suffered in March and finding himself sidelined the rest of the season.
When Mendy went down, Garcia took over at left-back and struggled for consistency under Carlo Ancelotti, displaying a defensive deficiency at the position. However, with Mendy still out, Garcia has flourished in Alonso’s full-back friendly tactics, scoring a goal and assisting another while receiving extra defensive help at the back from the center-backs, which can extend further out wide in the system.
“Fran is having a fantastic tournament,” said Gonzalo Garcia after the Borussia Dortmund match. “I haven’t seen any player work harder than him — he’s an example for me. He came up from the youth team, got here, and never stopped working while waiting for his chance.”
