Matias Fernandez-pardo Chooses Belgium After Four Spain Rejections
matias fernandez-pardo made his Belgium debut against Croatia on 2 June, replacing Doku after choosing Belgium over Spain. The 21-year-old Lille forward had been chased by Spain’s youth teams four times before switching his international path. He then put that decision on the field in his first senior appearance for Belgium.
Fernandez-Pardo and Belgium
Fernandez-Pardo was born in Brussels, has a Spanish father and an Italian mother, and has spent much of his rise in the Belgian and French systems. He first broke through with Gent, debuting in the Conference League at 18 years and one month old, and Lille paid 11 million for him in the summer of 2024 after he had scored 10 goals for Gent.
His move into Belgium’s senior setup came after a series of Spain approaches. Spain first called him up on 14 March 2025 for under-21 matches against the Czech Republic and Germany, but the Spanish federation said he was unavailable because of physical problems. A few months later he was on a preliminary list of 27 names for the European Championship, though Lille did not release him.
Spain’s Four Attempts
The pressure did not stop there. Spain also tried to convince him with a World Cup under-20 call-up, and Paco Gallardo summoned him in September for a double match against France in Clairefontaine, but he did not join that camp either. Those four Spain calls set up the decision he finally made on 12 May 2026, when he posted that he was proud to be Belgian and would work hard for the chance to represent the Red Devils.
His own message captured the switch in plain terms: “Orgulloso de ser belga. Esta es una decisión importante para mí y mi familia, tomada con gran orgullo y respeto. Trabajaré duro para ganarme esta oportunidad de representar a los diablos rojos” — Matias Fernandez-Pardo. The timing also fit his form. He finished the season with 8 goals, was Lille’s top scorer alongside Haraldson, and helped the club finish third and qualify for the Champions League.
Lille Form, Belgium Debut
Belgium handed him a first cap against Croatia, bringing him into a squad that already includes De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois, Trossard and Tielemans. For a player with 35,000 followers on Instagram and a fast-moving club career, the debut was the next step after the international choice was settled. Belgium now has another forward option from Lille, and the switch ended Spain’s pursuit before it reached senior level.
