Pablo Martín Páez Gavira — known as Gavi — was born on 5 August 2004 in Los Palacios y Villafranca, Andalusia. He joined Barcelona's La Masia in 2015 at eleven, after starting at Real Betis, and progressed through the academy to the senior team in 2021. He wears the number 6 shirt.
Gavi has been a defining figure of the academy's modern era, winning La Liga in 2022–23 and 2024–25, the 2024–25 Copa del Rey, multiple Supercopas de España, and being part of Barcelona's 2024–25 domestic treble. Praised by ESPN's Graham Hunter for his "dribbling, anticipation, intelligence, vision, passing, first touch, close control, change of pace, and quick reflexes," he became Barcelona's rotation-leading midfielder under Hansi Flick when fit.
A torn ACL with meniscus damage in November 2023 sidelined him for almost a year; he returned in October 2024, but a fresh meniscus injury in September 2025 required further surgery with an estimated four-to-five-month recovery, derailing much of his 2025–26 season.
Gavi became Spain's youngest-ever senior international at seventeen in October 2021. He scored at the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Costa Rica, becoming the third-youngest goalscorer in tournament history after Pelé and Manuel Rosas. He also helped Spain win the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League and was part of the Euro 2024-winning squad. His individual honours include the 2022 Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy Award.