Pablo Fornals Malla was born on 22 February 1996 in Castellón de la Plana, in the Valencian Community of Spain. He came through the youth ranks of Málaga CF and made his senior debut in 2015, developing rapidly as a creative midfielder and attracting the attention of Villarreal, who signed him in summer 2017 for around €12 million — a significant investment for a 21-year-old coming from a relegated club.
At Villarreal he spent two years in the Europa League environment and honed his craft as a technical midfielder capable of operating in tight spaces, with an eye for key passes and an ability to drift between the lines. In summer 2019 West Ham United signed him for approximately £24 million, bringing him to the Premier League for what would become a five-season stint in east London.
His West Ham career had genuine highs: he was an important contributor in their run to the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League semi-final and remained a squad regular through the 2022-23 conference League-winning campaign. However, his role at the club diminished in 2023-24 and he moved to Real Betis on a free transfer in summer 2024, returning to Spain after five years in the Premier League and linking up with a club that prized his technical quality and positional intelligence.
For Spain he debuted in 2019 and has been part of the national team pool under multiple managers. He featured in Spain's 2020 UEFA Nations League campaigns and continued to be considered, though competition from Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Gavi and others kept his starting opportunities limited. He remains a versatile option for the 2026 World Cup squad.
Standing 1.76 m, Fornals is a right-footed midfielder whose technical dribbling, ability to work in tight pockets and quality of through-ball delivery draw comparisons to a less physically dominant David Silva. He represents the archetype of the Spanish creative midfielder — technically adept, positionally intelligent and capable of linking play at the highest level.