Goalkeepers rarely get a clean, straight line to the top. Diego Conde's line went sideways for years: Atletico Madrid's academy, a reserve side, two loans, a backup job at Getafe. Then came one season at Leganes so good that it bought him a five year contract in La Liga. The hard part, it turns out, came after the signature.
At Villarreal, Conde is a keeper with a trophy on his shelf and a seat on the bench. He turns 28 on October 28, which in goalkeeping terms is the start of the good years, not the end of anything. That makes the next stretch of his career the interesting bit.
Conde, on paper
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Diego Jose Conde Alcolado |
| Born | October 28, 1998, Madrid, Spain |
| Age | 27 (turns 28 in late October 2026) |
| Height and weight | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in), about 78 kg |
| Position | Goalkeeper, right footed |
| Club and number | Villarreal CF, No. 13 |
| Youth academy | Atletico Madrid, 2007 to 2017 |
| Previous clubs | Atletico Madrid B, Navalcarnero (loan), Leganes (loan), Getafe, Leganes |
| International | Spain U19 |
| Contract | Until June 30, 2029 |
| Market value (estimate) | 3.8 million to 4.8 million euros, depending on source |
| Salary (reported) | About 1.88 million euros a year |
| Net worth (Icon Polls estimate) | $2 million to $4 million |
| FC 26 rating | 76 to 77 overall, 79 to 80 potential |
Ten years at Atletico, then the long way round
Conde joined Atletico Madrid's academy as a child in 2007 and stayed for a decade, earning Spain U19 caps along the way. That is a serious pedigree. It is also a pedigree that very few keepers turn into a first team place at Atletico, and Conde didn't either.
Instead he went down the ladder. Atletico Madrid B, then a loan to Navalcarnero in the third tier, then a loan to Leganes in the Segunda Division. Getafe followed, and two seasons there were spent mostly as cover. None of it looked like the route of a future top flight starter.
The season that rewrote his career
The turning point was a permanent return to Leganes in 2023. Given the gloves outright, Conde was outstanding in 2023/2024. He made 40 appearances, kept 18 clean sheets, posted a save percentage of 75.7% and conceded just 27 goals all season.
That earned him the Ricardo Zamora Trophy, awarded to the goalkeeper with the best goals conceded per game ratio, and Leganes went up to La Liga as champions. In July 2024, Villarreal signed him on a five year deal, with the fee reported to be in the region of 1 million to 2 million euros.
It is worth being clear about what that season proved. It proved Conde could be the best keeper in a division when he played every week. It did not prove he could do the same a level higher. That question is still open.
Villarreal and the step up
His first La Liga season, 2024/2025, brought 22 appearances, a 67.7% save percentage and 2 clean sheets. The drop from his Leganes numbers looks steep, but top flight finishing is a different problem, and the chances keepers face in La Liga are simply better ones.
By 2025/2026, Luiz Junior had become first choice. Conde's season was mostly spent as an unused substitute in La Liga and the Champions League, with his main outing a full 90 minutes in the Copa del Rey against Ciudad Lucena in October 2025.
One thing that has not held him back is his body. There are no major injuries on his record, and his lack of minutes has been about the pecking order, not fitness. For a keeper hoping to win back a starting job, being reliably available is the minimum, and he has it.
Pay, value and an honest net worth range
Conde's reported salary at Villarreal is about 1.88 million euros a year, roughly 36,000 euros a week. That is a big jump from his earlier wages: reports put his Getafe pay at around 130,000 euros a year and his first Leganes spell at about 100,000. His total Villarreal contract is estimated at around 7.5 million euros.
There is no official figure for his personal wealth. Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $2 million to $4 million, based on his career earnings and his current deal. Treat that as a ballpark, not a bank statement.
His market value sits at an estimated 3.8 million to 4.8 million euros. You will sometimes see a release clause of 16.3 million euros quoted, but that number comes from his FC 26 game data, not from a confirmed contract document. With his deal running until 2029, Villarreal control any conversation about a move.
FC 26: a sensible Career Mode buy
In EA Sports FC 26 he sits at 76 to 77 overall depending on the roster update, with potential of 79 to 80. SoFIFA's March 2026 listing had him at 76 with 79 potential, valued at 7.5 million euros on an in game wage of 21,000 euros a week. He wears No. 13, matching real life, and has a real face scan.
His card is built on positioning, reflexes and handling rather than anything flashy. For Career Mode, he is exactly what his real career suggests: a dependable backup who can grow into a starter, at a price that won't wreck your budget.
Where this goes next
Our read: Conde is better than a permanent number two, but he has not yet shown he is better than the man ahead of him. That leaves two realistic paths. Either an injury or a dip in form opens the door at Villarreal and he takes it, or he looks for regular football elsewhere, most likely through a loan or transfer that Villarreal would have to approve.
The Zamora season showed what he does with trust and minutes. Keepers who peak between 27 and 33 often have exactly this kind of quiet spell before it. Whether he gets that second chance is the story to watch, and while you wait, you can weigh in on who deserves a place among the best footballers of all time.
Asked often
Is Diego Conde Villarreal's first choice goalkeeper?
Not in the 2025/2026 season, when Luiz Junior started and Conde served as backup, appearing mainly in the Copa del Rey.
Has he played for Spain's senior team?
No. His international experience is at U19 level, from his time in Atletico Madrid's academy.
What did he win at Leganes?
The Ricardo Zamora Trophy in 2023/2024, conceding only 27 goals, while Leganes won the Segunda Division title and promotion to La Liga.
