The first food recommendation comes quickly.
"Terry Black's," Jorge Alastuey said with a grin. "The beef ribs and the brisket."
It's probably not the answer most people would expect from a midfielder who grew up in Zaragoza, Spain, and spent his academy days developing at FC Barcelona's famed La Masia.
Then again, Alastuey is not your typical soccer player.
Leaving home at 13 to join the FC Barcelona academy, to training with a Scudetto-winning Napoli, to playing professionally in Spain and Poland, each stop has pushed him farther than he'd ever thought possible.
Now, more than 5,000 miles away from Zaragoza, Alastuey finds himself wearing the Verde and Black of Austin FC II and leading them to become one of the best sides in MLS NEXT Pro this season.
What he did not expect to find in the Texas capital was a sense of true belonging.
"I feel like I fit in perfectly," he said.
But long before Terry Black's BBQ became his go-to food spot, Alastuey built his career on a willingness to leave the comfort of home behind and embrace each new challenge that came along.
After years away from where he grew up, he seems to have finally found a place he can call home.
Embrace the challenge
Years before landing in Austin, Jorge Alastuey was like most younger brothers, always trying to keep up with his older siblings.
"I started playing right away because my family, we all played soccer," Alastuey shared. "I have older brothers, so I was always chasing them and playing with them and their friends."
Soccer had always been part of the Alastuey family routine, with weekends built around attending matches and tournaments.
"I was always surrounded by soccer."
Joining the Real Zaragoza academy became his first major step to becoming a professional. His older brother had already played there, and Alastuey knew the environment from spending time supporting his brother.
"It's my club," he mentioned. "The one I love and I always support."
For any other person, joining a professional academy could have been more than enough, but even from a young age Alastuey has wanted more.
By the time he was 12, other clubs around Spain had started to take notice of his talent with the ball. Then came the offer that changed everything.
FC Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world, was interested in him.
Alastuey still remembers the conversation clearly. His family and agent sat down at a restaurant as the possibility had become real.
"They said, 'Hey guys, this is serious. They have made an offer, so we have to make a decision," Alastuey remembered.
After some deliberation, the clearest advice came from his older brother.
"He said, 'You've got to go,'" Alastuey recalled. "Those chances, whenever they come, if deep down it's your passion and for your growth, you have to take it."
The decision was made, and at 13, Alastuey left home for Barcelona, a city three hours away from Zaragoza, and moved into La Masia, the club's academy residence and soccer academy.
"I lived there for six years, from 13 to 19 years old," Alastuey said. "That was the time of my life that truly made me who I am right now."
La Masia gave Alastuey a soccer education but also instilled in him a unique way of seeing the game.
"The way I play nowadays is based on what I learned there," Alastuey remarked. "You have a really specific way of playing soccer and understanding the game, and that's what you get taught since you're a kid."
Living in a youth soccer residence meant his life looked different from most kids his age, but Alastuey does not look back on that sacrifice with regret.
"My life was only focused on soccer," he said. "That's the way I wanted it, and that's the way I enjoyed it the most."
The years in Barcelona also taught him how to live like a professional before he officially became one.
"I developed a lifestyle there," Alastuey stated. "I got used to working as a soccer player."
“Being in that professional environment from a young age sets your brain to your soccer career and the demands of living by yourself. Having to cook, having to pay the bills, being on your own and figuring out how you want to spend your time.”
That lifestyle would later make moving to Italy, Poland, and eventually the United States feel less like a shock and more like another step in his professional career.
"Being a soccer player is not all fancy and fun," Alastuey said. "It's also being able to be by yourself and figure out things."
When his Barcelona chapter came to an end, Alastuey knew he had to continue to challenge himself and choose between what was familiar and what could help him continue to grow.
Lessons from the road
After six years inside La Masia, Alastuey moved to Italy to join Napoli's Primavera (U-20) side.
During his time in southern Italy, Alastuey trained regularly with Luciano Spalletti's first team during Napoli's historic Scudetto-winning season in 2023, watching up close as one of Europe's most historic clubs ended a 33-year wait for a Serie A title.
"That year was the time when I felt the closest to being a professional," Alastuey acknowledged. "I could see from the inside how it feels and how it looks to be a professional player."
At Barcelona, the focus was on development. In Napoli, winning came first.
"I learned that whenever you're in a professional environment, there's a plan and everyone has their role."
"The end goal of everyone is for the team to win. That's what matters the most."
After his time in Italy, Alastuey joined CD Teruel in Spain before moving to Poland, where he experienced a side of the professional game he had never encountered before.
"I learned a lot because a lot of my teammates had long careers," Alastuey expressed.
"Whenever you share day to day with those guys, you learn so many things, especially about life."
This time it wasn't development but about competing for points and understanding what it truly means to compete and make a living in the sport. For Alastuey, Poland consisted of learning another language and a completely new culture.
"The country surprised me a lot," Alastuey remembered.
"They live soccer like crazy. The fans were traveling everywhere to support us. The games would have to stop like two or three times because of the smoke [flares].”
Austin City Limits
When Austin FC reached out, the idea of moving to the United States didn't faze Alastuey.
His brother was already living in Washington, D.C., giving Alastuey a familiar connection to the country before making the jump.
“My brother told me, ‘Why don’t we go to Austin to just see the facility and see the city?’” Alastuey recalled.
They flew together to Austin to see the facilities, check out the city, and meet people around the club.
"I liked what I saw," Alastuey said. "I liked what people told me."
Alastuey was struck by how much Austin FC invested in the daily experience of its players. The facilities and staff support all stood out and matched the quality of the clubs he grew up in.
"I was really surprised by the professionalism of the structure of the club," Alastuey confessed. "Everyone here is doing their 110 percent to make sure the players have everything."
For a player arriving from another country, a club having that level of professionalism mattered, and feeling that Austin, both the city and club, was the right move, he signed for the Austin FC II in early 2025.
Once Alastuey began playing in the league, his initial perception of the league changed quickly.
"I think MLS NEXT Pro is a really good bridge and opportunity to show yourself," Alastuey commented.
He saw a league filled with young and veteran players pushing for first-team minutes, and technical staff watching each game closely from across MLS and the globe.
"You always find three to five really good players. Technically, physically, every squad has good players."
A whole new rodeo
In his first match in MLS NEXT Pro, Alastuey recorded a goal and an assist before leaving with an injury in the same game.
It was a promising debut interrupted by an unfortunate injury, but that did not stop him from becoming one of Austin FC II's most productive players in the 2025 season, finishing with 10 goals and six assists in 24 appearances.
He began the 2026 campaign in similar fashion, scoring twice in Austin FC II's season opener. As of Matchweek 20, he has scored nine times and provided two assists in 13 starts, becoming one of the most productive players in MLS NEXT Pro.
Captained by Alastuey, Austin FC II broke an MLS NEXT Pro record for consecutive wins, building a 10-game winning streak that has turned them into one of the league's defining stories of 2026.
Austin FC II head coach Jason Shackell praised Alastuey's performances on and off the field since his arrival to the Texas Capital, while also leaving room for improvement as he continues to grow as a player.
"Jorge has been a pleasure to work with. He's always eager to learn and ask questions while possessing high football IQ. He is a great role model for our younger players; with how he approaches training on a daily basis, he works extremely hard on and off the field."
"With Jorge, it’s reminding him to be a little more positional at times. We want him on the ball as high up as possible; trust his teammates will find him the ball. He is having another very productive season, and we are very pleased with how he is doing." Shackell added.
Thanks to his performances in MLS NEXT Pro, Alastuey signed a short-term agreement in March with the first team and made his MLS debut against Real Salt Lake, playing 31 minutes off the bench.
For a player who crossed the Atlantic with a clear goal in mind, this was a moment that really mattered.
“My objective was to play in MLS," Alastuey said of his first MLS minutes, but he states that it's just the beginning.
"I was able to make my debut, but I want to become part of the first team and be able to play in MLS for years."
Now, a new challenge awaits the 23-year-old midfielder as Austin FC's first team enters a new chapter.
Nico Estévez, the head coach who gave Alastuey opportunities to train and play with the first team and was a fellow Spaniard, was let go midway through the 2026 MLS season.
Former Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin is set to lead the club next season.
That makes the rest of 2026 feel even more important since not only does he have to continue to produce for a league-leading Austin FC II side, but he is also trying to show that he belongs in the first-team conversation before a new coaching era begins.
Alastuey understands that reality, but he does not view the coaching change as a setback.
"Whenever there’s a new head coach or a new staff, they always demand different things,” Alastuey noted.
“I think it’s also kind of like a fresh start. Everyone has the chance to get back again; whatever happened before, you kind of forget about it, and it’s a new start, so you can prove yourself again.”
Focus on what you can control
For all the places soccer has taken him, Alastuey does not sound like someone eager to look too far into the future.
“I don’t like looking that far away,” Alastuey said. “I would rather look more into short-term goals.”
That mentality has helped him handle the uncertainty that comes with being a professional player, so he focuses on what he can control.
“My goal is to do my best every week,” Alastuey said about his mentality. “Train like it’s the last day, and whenever the game comes, just make my team win.”
Away from the field, the vibrant energy around Austin, Texas, has also made it easier for him to settle and help him unwind from the daily grind.
“There’s always something going on. There’s live music, there’s concerts, there’s outdoor activities.”
“It’s a really young, energetic city,” he added. “I love that.”
The culinary offerings around the city have helped, too.
“I usually go to Terry Black’s downtown,” he grinned when asked about his food recommendations.
“I love their beef ribs and the brisket.”
After years of moving from one city to the next, Austin has become more than another stop in Alastuey’s career; it has become the place where his sacrifices are starting to pay off.
“I’m really proud of the journey so far,” Alastuey shared. “I think I still have a lot to say here in Austin and in this country.”
