Fidalgo and Giménez enter Betis-Porto short on minutes and with market value in freefall

Some matches carry weight beyond the three points. Wednesday's Betis-Porto Champions League clash has, underneath it all, a story about two Mexicans in need of a breather: Álvaro Fidalgo and Santiago Giménez arrive at the game in almost identical straits, short on minutes, short on relevance, and watching their market value deflate at the same pace.

The numbers leave little room for interpretation. Fidalgo has played just 62 minutes between LaLiga and the Champions League all season. Santiago is no better off, with 63 minutes at Porto. Two national team players trying to carve out space in Rafael Márquez's plans who first need to find it at their clubs.

Fidalgo, from undisputed starter to watching from the bench

The midfielder returned to Spain in February after five years in Mexico, having come up through Real Madrid's youth system and spent time at Rayo Majadahonda and Castellón. He joined Betis at a moment when the squad was dealing with injuries in midfield, and the end of last season smiled on him: nine LaLiga appearances, eight of them starts, 542 minutes and even a goal.

This season has been a different story. Through eight league matchdays, Fidalgo has played in only two games for a total of 32 minutes, plus another 30 in the win over Lille in the opening Champions League matchday. Manuel Pellegrini did not dodge the subject when asked about it: he values the Mexican, but acknowledges that competition for that spot is fierce, with names like Isco, Giovani Lo Celso, Dani Ceballos, Pablo Fornals, Nelson Deossa and Marc Roca all fighting for the same role.

The lack of minutes shows up in the club's books too. Fidalgo arrived at Betis valued at 9.5 million dollars and weeks later hit his personal ceiling of 11.2 million. Since then it has been nothing but decline: 6.7 million in June and, according to recent reports, around 5.6 million dollars today. That is a drop of 5.6 million from his peak, essentially cutting his value in half within a matter of months.

Santiago Giménez, trapped in a spiral that started in Milan

Santiago's story begins even before he set foot in Portugal. AC Milan paid roughly 35.8 million dollars for him in February 2025, when he arrived with a valuation of 41.4 million after scoring 65 goals in 105 matches for Feyenoord. His first campaign in Italy produced five goals and two assists in 14 Serie A appearances, plus one goal in the Champions League, six goals total in 19 official matches.

The second year was far tougher: 16 Serie A appearances without a single league goal, his only official goal coming in the Coppa Italia. Milan showed him the door, and Porto took him on loan through June 2027, with a purchase option of around 20.2 million dollars plus add-ons that could turn it into an obligation.

Portugal has brought no relief either. He played 16 minutes against Moreirense and 29 against Casa Pia, the match in which he scored his only goal for the club. In the Champions League he logged 18 minutes against Manchester City and sat out the full matches against Benfica and Marítimo. With Samu Aghehowa and André Silva as alternatives at the position, nothing is guaranteed for him either.

The drop in his market value is even steeper than Fidalgo's: from the 41.4 million dollars he carried into Milan to the 20.2 million he's worth now, a loss of 21.2 million and a decline of more than 51%.

Not even the FIFA window offered any relief

The latest international break did nothing to change the trajectory. Fidalgo played all four of Mexico's matches, racking up 210 minutes against Colombia, Peru, the United States and Chile, without a goal or an assist to show for it. Against Chile he drew criticism for generating little offensively and for losing the ball in the buildup to the opponent's first goal; against the United States he was also involved in a giveaway that led to the opposing side's third goal.

Santiago played 128 minutes during that same window and also went without a goal. His best chance came against the United States, a shot from inside the six yard box that sailed just wide.

Both are in the squad for Wednesday's match and there's a chance they could share the field, though neither arrives with a starting spot secured. Fidalgo is looking to recover the prominence he had when he first returned to Spain; Santiago is trying to halt a slide that began in Milan and still hasn't found its turning point in Portugal.