Spanish club Villarreal introduces Canadian midfielder Nathan Saliba

Canadian midfielder Nathan Saliba says joining La Liga club Villarreal puts him closer to his dream of playing in the Champions League.

Villarreal officially introduced Saliba at a press conference Wednesday after signing him to a contract through 2031.

The midfielder from Longueuil, Que., will line up alongside fellow Canadians Tajon Buchanan and Tani Oluwaseyi at the club, which plays in the top tier of Spanish soccer.

"It means a lot," Saliba said of playing in a top European league. "It shows me that the path I took starting my career to just believe in working hard and every day being dedicated to my development."

"And I think to play Champions League is a dream of every player," he added. "So I'm really looking forward to it. I'm excited and I think it's a really, really good step for me in my career."

Saliba said he got good reviews on his new club and city from his fellow Canadians.

"Yeah, they told me a lot," he said. "They told me about the team and the city and everything, the club, the expectations.

"They told me that it's a very good group of players that I'll get to know and that this is a team that really likes to play football. So, just many many good things. So, I'm really, really looking forward to discovering more."

Villarreal finished third in La Liga last season and qualified for the league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League, which gets underway next month.

Bombito set for second surgery on left tibia after 'struggling' through World Cup

The club started the 2026-27 La Liga season with two draws and will next face Deportivo Alaves on Friday.

The 22-year-old Saliba joins Villarreal from Belgian club Anderlecht, where he made two appearances this season. He had three goals in 34 Belgian Pro League