Álvaro Folgueiras

Álvaro Folgueiras Campos (born April 1, 2005) is a Spanish college basketball player for the Louisville Cardinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He previously played for the Robert Morris Colonials and Iowa Hawkeyes.

Early life Born in Málaga on April 1, 2005, Folgueiras began his basketball career playing for CB El Palo and the youth system of Unicaja Málaga in Spain before leaving for the United States to play at the DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida. After spending a season at the DME Academy, Folgueiras committed to play college basketball at Robert Morris University.

College career Folgueiras played mostly as a reserve as a freshman, before increasing his production the following year. On December 21, 2024, in a game against Saint Francis, he recorded a double-double, totaling 27 points and 16 rebounds, to go along with four steals, three blocks, and four assists. As a sophomore, he was named the Horizon League Player of the Year.

On April 20, 2025, Folgueiras announced his decision to transfer to the University of Iowa to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes. On March 22, 2026, he scored 14 points and had five rebounds off the bench, including a game-winning three-pointer with 4.5 seconds left, in Iowa's 73–72 NCAA tournament win over No. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida, sending the Hawkeyes to their first Sweet 16 since 1999.

On April 21, 2026, Folgueiras transferred to the University of Louisville. Style of play Folgueiras is a stretch forward, excelling in both post play and three-point shooting. He is also an exceptional rebounder. During his time at Robert Morris, commentator Chris Shovlin began referring to him by the nickname El Pulpo Fol ("Fol the Octopus" in Spanish) after noting that his rebounding proficiency made it seem as though he had extra limbs. The nickname also doubled as an homage to El Pulpo Paul, the octopus who famously predicted matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was won by Folgueiras's native Spain.

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