Héctor BellerÃÂn Moruno (born 19 March 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right-back or wing-back for club Real Betis.
BellerÃÂn started his career at Barcelona, and moved to Arsenal in 2011. He played 239 games across all competitions, winning three FA Cups and two FA Community Shields, as well as a Copa del Rey while on loan at Real Betis. He returned to Barcelona in September 2022, and had a brief spell at Sporting CP in the Portuguese Primeira Liga before a permanent move to Betis.
BellerÃÂn played internationally for Spain from under-16 to under-21 levels. He made his senior debut for Spain in 2016 and was later chosen for the European Championship of that year.
Born in Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, BellerÃÂn started his club football career in Barcelona's youth team. He moved to Arsenal in the summer of 2011, and signed his first professional contract the following year. While a youth player at Arsenal, BellerÃÂn also helped the club to reach fourth place of the NextGen Series of 2012âÂÂ13.
BellerÃÂn was first included in an Arsenal squad on 26 September 2012, remaining unused in their League Cup third round 6âÂÂ1 win at home to Coventry City. He made his competitive debut away to West Bromwich Albion in the same competition the following 25 September, coming on in the 95th minute as a substitute in a penalty shootout victory after a 1âÂÂ1 draw.
Two months later, BellerÃÂn joined Championship club Watford on a two-month loan deal, and made his debut against Yeovil Town eight days after signing. The loan at Watford was extended until the end of the season, but he was recalled by Arsenal in February 2014.
Following injuries to Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and Nacho Monreal, BellerÃÂn made his Champions League debut on 16 September 2014 in a 2âÂÂ0 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund. He scored his first goal for Arsenal on 1 February 2015, in a 5âÂÂ0 win against Aston Villa, and added a second on 4 April to open a 4âÂÂ1 win over Liverpool despite also conceding a penalty kick through a foul on Raheem Sterling.
BellerÃÂn was selected to start for Arsenal in the 2015 FA Cup Final on 30 May, helping the team keep a clean sheet in a 4âÂÂ0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium.
BellerÃÂn signed a new long-term contract before the 2015âÂÂ16 season and played the entirety of Arsenal's 1âÂÂ0 win over rivals Chelsea in the 2015 FA Community Shield. He was the sole Arsenal player listed in that season's PFA Team of the Year, and came in third place in Arsenal's Player of the Season voting. On 21 November 2016, he signed a new long-term contract after agreeing to a deal that tied him to the club until 2022.
BellerÃÂn featured in the following season throughout Arsenal's victorious 2016âÂÂ17 FA Cup campaign. He played in the Cup final which Arsenal went on to win by a 2âÂÂ1 margin against Chelsea. He was again triumphant in the Gunners lifting the 2017 Community Shield by beating Chelsea 4âÂÂ1 on penalties.
BellerÃÂn scored his first goal of Arsenal's 2017âÂÂ18 season in Arsenal's 3âÂÂ1 victory over 1. FC Köln. On 3 January 2018, BellerÃÂn earned a draw for Arsenal against Chelsea with what BBC Sport described as 'stunning injury-time strike' in the 92nd minute, having earlier conceded a penalty for a foul on Eden Hazard. BellerÃÂn played the full time match as Arsenal lost the EFL Cup by 3âÂÂ0 to Manchester City at Wembley. On 7 March 2018, BellerÃÂn was ruled out of the Europa League first leg clash against Milan with an unknown return date.
BellerÃÂn missed out the first five weeks of the 2018âÂÂ19 season due to a calf problem. During a league game against Chelsea on 19 January he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and was stretchered off of the pitch in the 70th minute at the Emirates Stadium. He was later ruled out for nine months, consequently missing the remainder of the season and the start of the 2019âÂÂ20 season. Arsenal coach Unai Emery perceives BellerÃÂn as "very mature" and believes that "he is already preparing to come back stronger than before".
On 24 September 2019, BellerÃÂn made his return from injury as a substitute in Arsenal's 5âÂÂ0 victory against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup. On 21 January 2020, he scored in the 87th minute to help Arsenal earn a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League. That was his only goal of the season. On 1 August 2020, BellerÃÂn was selected to start in the FA Cup Final against Chelsea, and went on to win his third winners' medal as Arsenal won their 14th FA Cup.
On 14 February 2021, BellerÃÂn scored his first goal of the 2020âÂÂ21 season in a 4âÂÂ2 win over Leeds United in the Premier League.
On 31 August 2021, BellerÃÂn returned to Spain after a decade, joining Real Betis on a season-long loan. He made his debut in La Liga 13 days later, in a 2âÂÂ1 win at Granada. On 21 November, he was sent off at Elche for a foul on Tete Morente while his team were winning 3âÂÂ0, the final score. In the 2022 Copa del Rey Final on 23 April, he played the full 120 minutes as his team defeated Valencia to lift the cup.
On 1 September 2022, BellerÃÂn returned to Barcelona following the termination of his contract at Arsenal. He signed a one-year deal, with Arsenal retaining 25% of a future transfer fee. He was signed to cover the absence of injured right-back Sergiño Dest; Barcelona had previously wanted César Azpilicueta to cover this role, but he renewed at Chelsea instead.
BellerÃÂn made his debut for his hometown club on 10 September, starting in a 4âÂÂ0 win at Cádiz. Having made only two further substitute appearances, he totalled 141 minutes in the league by the turn of the year. In January 2023, BellerÃÂn told the newspaper Ara that his annual salary was â¬500,000, far below the reported salaries of some teammates; he called for footballers to earn less and pay more tax.
On 31 January 2023, BellerÃÂn signed a six-month contract with Primeira Liga club Sporting CP, for a fee of â¬500,000, which could rise to â¬1.5 million with add-ons. He made his debut six days later in a 1âÂÂ0 win at Rio Ave as a late substitute. He played 13 total games for the team from Lisbon, scoring once on 27 February to open a 2âÂÂ0 home win over G.D. Estoril-Praia; it was two years to the month since his last goal, for Arsenal against Leeds.
On 18 July 2023, BellerÃÂn returned to Betis on a five-year deal, on a free transfer.
Having reached the semi-finals of the 2013 European Championship with the under-19 team, BellerÃÂn made his debut for Albert Celades's under-21 team on 30 March 2015, playing the full 90 minutes of a 4âÂÂ0 friendly win over Belarus in León.
On 29 May 2016, after being named as a stand-by player for the year's European Championship, BellerÃÂn made his debut for the full squad by starting in a 3âÂÂ1 friendly win against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the AFG Arena in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Two days later, he was chosen for the final squad after Dani Carvajal withdrew through injury. He was unused as they reached the last 16.
In November 2020, BellerÃÂn was recalled to the Spain squad for the first time in over four years, as Jesús Navas withdrew through injury. He played in a 1âÂÂ1 friendly draw away to the Netherlands in his comeback match.
Early in his career BellerÃÂn was known for his pace, which allowed him to take on opposition defenders as well as provide defensive cover. At the beginning of the 2014âÂÂ15 season, he broke Theo Walcott's Arsenal sprint record by 1/100 of a second.
BellerÃÂn is known for his unconventional character revolving around his progressive stances, London accent, fashionable looks and dandy lifestyle. BellerÃÂn became a vegan in 2017, which he credits for improving his health. In an interview in August 2019, he said that footballers have a responsibility to create awareness around environmental issues and that "It's nice to show what we haveâÂÂour cars, our watchesâÂÂbut good to send a more meaningful message than 'look how cool we are'."
The 2019âÂÂ20 Premier League was suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When it returned in June, Bellerin pledged to plant 3,000 trees for every Arsenal victory in the remainder of the season.
BellerÃÂn became the second-largest shareholder of National League club Forest Green Rovers in September 2020. He praised their commitments to veganism and environmentalism.
BellerÃÂn is also a creative director for the EA Sports FIFA Volta game mode.
Known for his opinions on political matters, BellerÃÂn has declared himself left-wing and not a supporter of any political party.
On the day of the 2019 United Kingdom general election, BellerÃÂn criticised Prime Minister and eventual winner Boris Johnson in a tweet where he encouraged young people to vote.
In March 2022, BellerÃÂn spoke against what he described as double standards of the West on other issues compared to its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "It is quite difficult to see that we are more interested in this war than in others", he told La Media Inglesa. "I don't know if it is because they are more like us or because the conflict can affect us more directly both economically and in terms of refugees. The Palestinian war has been completely silenced, no one speaks about it. Yemen, Iraq... now Russia not being able to play in the World Cup is something that other countries have faced for many years." He went on to say it was racist to "[turn] a blind eye to other conflicts" and that it also showed "a lack of empathy for the number of lives lost in many conflicts and we are prioritising those that are near to us."
In January 2023, BellerÃÂn declared his opposition to Catalan independence, calling himself "Catalan and Spanish" as his parents were born outside the region.
In November 2025, BellerÃÂn declared his support for the mayor-elect of New York City Zohran Mamdani via a video message during Mamdani's appearance on The Adam Friedland Show. Mamdani is a member of Democratic Socialists of America and his policies have been described as progressive and left-wing.
Arsenal
Real Betis
Barcelona
Spain U21
Individual