Óscar Mingueza - Defender

La Masia y La Roja

A former Barcelona defender who has played on some of the biggest stages in football, after first graduating from La Masia in 2018, Óscar Mingueza became the first recruit of the Pierre Sage era at Palace in the summer of 2026.

Mingueza has been involved in multiple high-profile tournaments for Spain in recent years.

After representing La Roja’s under-21 side in 2021, Mingueza won his first senior cap in extraordinary circumstances.

Following a positive covid test ahead of a friendly against Lithuania in June 2021, the under-21 squad were called up to replace the seniors, including Mingueza. The defender completed the 90 minutes in a 4-0 win.

A month later he was called up to represent Spain at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, although he suffered an injury in the opening game against Egypt which curtailed his involvement.

The highlight of Mingueza’s international career to date came in 2025, when he helped La Roja to the UEFA Nations League final.

Featuring in a quarter-final win over the Netherlands, Mingueza was called up to the squad for the tournament finals in June.

After watching the semi-final from the substitutes’ bench as Spain defeated France 5-4 in a nine-goal classic, they would face Portugal in the final with Mingueza starting at right-back.

Ultimately it would finish 2-2, with Mingueza substituted in the 92nd minute as the game went into extra-time.

Mingueza isn’t the only footballer in his family. His sister, Ariadna Mingueza has also represented Spain at international level.

A deep-lying midfielder, Mingueza currently plays her football with Granada, after also previously coming through at Barcelona like her brother.

She has formed part of a golden generation for Spain in the women’s game, part of the under-19 and under-20 Spanish sides that won the European and World Cup titles respectively in 2022.

Both brother and sister rose through the ranks at Barcelona at a similar pace. In fact, just nine days before Óscar’s first senior goal in a win over Huesca, Ariadna made her debut for the Barcelona’s women’s first team.

Mingueza will add significant European experience to the Eagles’ ranks ahead of our maiden Europa League campaign.

Continental competition was never far away from the defender’s footballing upbringing, having featured for Barcelona in their successful 2017/18 UEFA Youth League campaign.

He then made his senior debut in the Champions League back in 2020, replacing club legend Gerard Piqué.

In 2025/26, Mingueza played a big part in Celta Vigo’s run to the Europa League quarter-finals, starting 11 of their 14 European ties.

Impressing in a variety of positions, filling in as a left-sided midfielder on a couple of occasions, Mingueza was ultimately named in the tournament Team of the Season.

Now the defender will be looking to help Palace aim for more European glory, whilst also tasting Premier League football for the first time.