 He made his debut in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A fifteen days later, a 1–0 home win over Ceará Sporting Club.Juanfran had an extraordinary performance at the 2004 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, as Spain won the tournament and the player received the Golden Player award.In a rare achievement, he took part in two FIFA World Youth Championships, the first in the United Arab Emirates where the national team took the silver medal; in the 2005 edition they reached the quarter-finals, eventually ousted by winners Argentina.