Marc Roca Junqué (born 26 November 1996) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Real Betis.
He started his career at Espanyol, appearing in 121 competitive matches and four La Liga seasons. In October 2020, he signed with Bayern Munich.
Roca won the 2019 European Under-21 Championship with Spain.
Born in Vilafranca del Penedès, Barcelona, Catalonia, and raised in neighbouring La Granada, Roca joined RCD Espanyol's youth setup in 2008, aged 11. On 24 August 2014, he made his senior debut with the reserves, starting in a 2âÂÂ2 Segunda División B home draw against Lleida Esportiu.
Roca scored his first senior goal on 17 January 2015, his team's second in a 2âÂÂ3 home loss to UE Olot. On 4 August, he renewed his contract until 2017.
On 26 August 2016, Roca made his first-team â and La Liga â debut, starting in a 2âÂÂ2 home draw against Málaga CF. On 11 November, he agreed to an extension until 2022 and was permanently promoted to the main squad the following season.
Roca scored his first goal in the top flight on 21 April 2019, in a 2âÂÂ2 draw at Levante UD. He played 44 matches across all competitions in the 2019âÂÂ20 campaign, but the club was relegated to Segunda División for the first time in 26 years.
On 4 October 2020, Roca signed for FC Bayern Munich on a five-year contract. He made his official debut 11 days later, in a 3âÂÂ0 defeat of amateurs 1. FC Düren in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. He appeared in his first Bundesliga match later that month, coming on as an injury-time substitute for Serge Gnabry in the 2âÂÂ1 away victory over 1. FC Köln.
Roca played his first-ever game in the UEFA Champions League on 25 November 2020, starting and being sent off for two bookable offences midway through the second half on an eventual 3âÂÂ1 group stage win against FC Red Bull Salzburg. He totalled only 11 appearances in his first season.
Roca featured slightly more in 2021âÂÂ22 as his team won the league again, but was once again a fringe first-team player.
On 17 June 2022, Leeds United announced that Roca would join the club on 1 July after an agreement was reached with Bayern Munich; he agreed to a four-year contract for a reported â¬12,000,000 fee that could eventually rise on add-ons. He made his Premier League debut on 6 August, starting in a 2âÂÂ1 home victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. He scored his first goal one month later, in the 5âÂÂ2 away defeat to Brentford.
Roca returned to Spain in the summer of 2023, on a season-long loan at Real Betis. He scored his first goal on 1 October, through a header in a 3âÂÂ0 win over Valencia CF. His third came one month later, in the 12âÂÂ1 away rout of amateurs CD Hernán Cortés in the opening round of the Copa del Rey.
On 28 June 2024, Roca agreed to a permanent deal. He spent the better part of the campaign nursing a left-ankle injury, playing only 17 games in all competitions.
On 28 December 2016, Roca made his debut for the Catalonia autonomous team, starting in a 3âÂÂ3 draw against Tunisia (4âÂÂ2 penalty loss). He was named in Spain's under-21 squad for the 2019 UEFA European Championship, starting the final three games of the tournament for the eventual winners including a 4âÂÂ1 semi-final victory over France in which he scored.
Espanyol
Bayern Munich
Spain U21