Jesús Navas González (Spanish pronunciation: [xeˈsus ˈnaβas ɣonˈθaleθ]; born 21 November 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right-back or right winger.
He spent the vast majority of his career with Sevilla, winning eight major titles including four UEFA Cups/Europa Leagues and two Copas del Rey. In 2013 he signed for Manchester City, where he won the 2013–14 Premier League. He re-joined Sevilla in 2017, going on to hold the club's record for most competitive appearances at 705.
A Spain international from 2009 to 2024, Navas helped his country to win the 2010 World Cup, two European Championships and the 2022–23 Nations League, earning 56 caps and scoring five goals.
Born in Los Palacios y Villafranca, Province of Seville, Navas joined Sevilla's youth system at age 15. In 2003–04, he made his first-team (and La Liga) debut when he played 12 minutes in a 1–0 loss at Espanyol on 23 November 2003. He added four more appearances before the season was over, and in 2004–05 he was permanently promoted to the main squad, scoring two goals from 22 games. On 3 May 2005, his contract was extended until 2010.
In 2005–06, Navas once again impressed, being crucial as the Andalusians claimed victory in that campaign's UEFA Cup; he appeared in all 12 matches in the competition, including the final against Middlesbrough. A deal was arranged for a transfer to Chelsea in August 2006, but the player declined the move citing possible homesickness. He was consistently listed among the best players in the league, appearing in Don Balón magazine's Top 50 each year from 2006 to 2008.
For the next three years, Navas continued to be a regular for Sevilla, always leading the team in assists while adding nine league goals in total. He also helped them to the 2006–07 edition of the Copa del Rey, and to third place in the domestic championship two seasons later.
Navas was ever-present in the 2009–10 campaign, appearing in more than 50 games. He provided nine decisive passes (including two in the last round against Almería as Sevilla edged Mallorca for fourth place with a 3–2 away win). On 19 May 2010, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory in the final of the Copa del Rey against Atlético Madrid.
Navas' 2010–11 season was greatly undermined by injury, as he appeared in less than half Sevilla's matches. On 13 March 2011, he scored a rare header in a 1–1 home draw against eventual champions Barcelona, one of only two competitive goals.
On 4 June 2013, after speculation concerning Navas' future, Sevilla confirmed that he was leaving the club with the expectation of joining Premier League side Manchester City. The transfer, reportedly valued at £14.9 million, was completed seven days later; the player said "this is the right moment for me to take this step. I'm very happy with the opportunity and the decision."
Navas made his league debut on 19 August 2013, playing the full 90 minutes in a 4–0 home win against Newcastle United. He scored his first two goals in the competition on 24 November in a 6–0 home rout of Tottenham Hotspur.
On 2 March 2014, Navas scored City's third goal in the League Cup final as they defeated Sunderland 3–1 to win the competition. He appeared in 48 games in all competitions in his first season (scoring six goals), helping the club to win the fourth national championship in its history.
Navas returned to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium on 3 November 2015, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 win in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League and assisting Wilfried Bony for the last goal. In the League Cup final, he came on as a substitute and scored one of the penalties in the shootout in a victory over Liverpool.
Late in the 2016–17 campaign, Navas was reconverted by new manager Pep Guardiola into a right-back, and from that position he contributed two decisive passes in a 3–1 home defeat of Hull City on 8 April 2017. On 25 May, Manchester City announced he would be leaving the club.
On 1 August 2017, Sevilla announced the return of Navas through a video. He signed a four-year contract and was given the number 16 shirt previously worn by the late Antonio Puerta, who was a close friend.
During his second spell, Navas continued to occasionally appear at right-back. On 20 September 2017, he celebrated his 400th competitive appearance for the club by scoring the only goal of the 1–0 home win over Las Palmas, and he surpassed Pablo Blanco's record of 416 matches when he came off the bench against Levante on 16 December.
Navas was made captain ahead of the 2018–19 season. On 18 October 2018, the board of directors decided to rename the main stadium of the training ground, the Ciudad Deportiva José Ramón Cisneros Palacios, as Estadio Jesús Navas in recognition of his professional career.
On 3 January 2020, Navas became the first player to reach 500 appearances for Sevilla, when he started in a 1–1 draw against Athletic Bilbao. On 21 August, he captained the side to a 3–2 victory over Inter Milan in the Europa League final, his third title in the competition for the club.
Navas agreed to a new three-year deal in June 2021. On 31 May 2023, the 37-year-old started in the Europa League final against José Mourinho's Roma, which ended in a penalty shoot-out victory following a 1–1 draw; he played a pivotal role, as it was his teasing cross in the 55th minute that resulted in Gianluca Mancini's own goal to tie the match. Consequently, he was named Player of the Season by UEFA's technical observer panel.