August 16, 2026, and the RCDE Stadium will forever be etched in the memory of Marc Santos. The footballer played his first minutes in an official match with the first team and became, at 15 years and 280 days old, the youngest player to debut with Levante UD and the third youngest debutant in LALIGA.

Marc, born on November 9, 2010, joined the Granota Academy as a second-year pre-benjamin with the dream of any child starting their journey at Levante UD: playing for the first team. Season after season, the footballer progressed through the different categories of the club and played in various positions, a versatility that allowed him to enhance his talent and continue growing. His hard work, effort, and perseverance enabled him to debut with Juvenil A in the División de Honor last January, while still a cadet, and to participate in some first-team training sessions during the final stretch of the season.

In May 2024, the Ciutat de València already saw him on the pitch after he made history with the Valencian U-14 National Team by becoming, for the first time, champions of Spain. Marc, along with his teammates Marcos Puchalt and Aitor Gandía, received a standing ovation from the entire Granota fanbase during the pre-match moments of the game against SD Eibar. His performances in the Levante academy, where he also wore the captain's armband for some teams, began to draw the attention of the Spanish National Team coaches, and the defender made his debut with the U-16 squad.

Yesterday, Marc fulfilled one of his dreams. The one he had been working towards since he first wore the Levante UD jersey. Making his debut with the first team. His debut is now part of the club's history, as he has become the youngest footballer to debut with the granota team. The defender leads the ranking of the youngest players to play their first official minutes with the first team, ahead of Buba Sangare, Vicente Rodríguez, Claudio Barragán, Paco Cortés, and Víctor Jr., who make up the group of footballers who debuted at 16 years old.

Additionally, at 15 years and 280 days, Marc Santos has also placed himself in the Top 3 youngest debutants in LALIGA, behind Luka Romero (15 years and 219 days) and Francisco Bao “Sansón” (15 years and 255 days), surpassing Irastorza, Óscar Ramón, and Lamine Yamal.

Behind this debut, there are also many people who have supported Marc during his development. Coordinators, technicians, and teammates who have contributed to the footballer achieving one of the great dreams of any academy player. Joaqui Navarro, director of the Granota Academy, highlights the work of all those people who, day by day, are focused on the development of the players and explains how they experienced Marc's debut: “In the academy coordinators' group, when they saw that Marc was about to go on, everyone started writing and was attentive to that moment. There is a great sense of pride and satisfaction for the work done over all these years.”

Joaqui has closely followed his journey since he joined Levante UD as a pre-benjamin and highlights his evolution over the years. “I have seen him take on a lot of responsibility because he played in various positions, and we had to try to see where he could perform best and grow, providing him with the resources for demanding contexts that would help him improve. This has allowed him to develop better as a footballer.” The director of the Granota Academy also recalls some of the moments when his development process had to be accelerated, such as his debut in the División de Honor as a cadet. “You have to manage well the moments when we accelerate the players' process because you have to be careful with their expectations. The coaching staff must help them settle into the team and facilitate their adaptation, and Marc has always been a very responsible and hardworking boy who has handled all the processes well,” he explains.

Marc Santos is now part of Levante UD's history and an example for all the players in the Granota Academy who dream of following in his footsteps.

Congratulations, Marc!