Dani Alves was back in an official game for FC Barcelona in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey game with Linares, a whole 2,054 days after he last played for the team in the final of the same competition against Sevilla on 22 May 2016.
After rejoining the club in November, Alves has had to wait until the winter transfer window before being able to make his comeback appearance, although he did get to play against Boca Juniors in the Maradona Cup match in Saudi Arabia.
The player was finally registered with the federation on the very morning of today’s game with Linares and was thus cleared to play.
392 games for Barça
With 391 appearances, the Brazilian was the foreigner with the second most games for FC Barcelona, topped only by Leo Messi (771) and well clear of third-placed Javier Mascherano (334). He can now start adding to that already impressive tally!
Oldest player of the century
At 38 years and 244 days, it also means that Alves becomes the oldest player to appear for Barça this century, older than José Manuel Pinto, the goalkeeper who on 17 May 2014 was 38 years and 190 days old when he played his last game for the team.
