From forgotten to feared – Isco is back to entertaining best at Real Betis alongside Antony ahead of UEFA Conference League semi-final v Fiorentina

It is always important to find the fun. Sometimes in modern football, and indeed society, it feels as if the fun gets lost.

But it is impossible to lose the fun when you are watching this version of Isco.

Quick history lesson for those with short memories about what Isco has been through over the past few years: Isco left Real Madrid in the summer of 2022 after seeing his playing time reduce year-on-year.

He signed a two-year contract with Sevilla that was terminated four months later. In January 2023, a move to Union Berlin fell through and he then went unsigned for six more months.

July 2023 saw him sign a one-year contract with Sevilla’s cross-town rivals Real Betis. Isco finished the season with 13 goal contributions (eight goals, five assists) in La Liga. Between his final four seasons at Madrid and his half-season with Sevilla his combined G+A was also 13, across five seasons.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the fun was back in Isco’s football.

But there was a dark cloud. On May 16, during a 2-2 draw with Las Palmas, Isco broke his leg, ruling him out of Euro 2024. It was a devastating blow for a player who had been expected to be included in Luis de la Fuente’s squad after being named Player of the Match in a La Liga game an astonishing 19 times in one season.

Then it got worse.

In September, it was confirmed that Isco’s recovery had not gone to plan and he would require a second surgery, likely ruling him out for the rest of the calendar year. Betis had sold Nabil Fekir over the summer and suddenly had a dearth of attacking options.

It was also fair to wonder what Isco might look like at the age of 32, coming off a serious leg injury that keep him sidelined for over half a year.

Fast-forward to May 2025 and that seems like a really stupid thing to wonder. 

Isco has been absolutely magnificent upon his return from injury and can lay claim to being one of the best creative forces in the whole of Europe. So far in La Liga this season, he has eight goals and six assists. Yes, one more G+A than he had last season. He has done that in 18 games, 11 fewer than last term. In terms of minutes, it is even more stark: he has played just 1,317 minutes in La Liga this season compared to 2,326 in the last campaign.

In the whole of La Liga only eight players have more assists than Isco. Only one of those eight players has played in under 30 games, and that is Jude Bellingham, who has played in 28 matches. Only one player, Mallorca’s Dani Rodriguez, has played under 2,000 minutes and he has played over 600 minutes more than Isco. Only 22 players have scored more than his eight goals. Just three players on that list have played fewer minutes than Isco. Two of them are designated super-subs (Ferran Torres and Cristhian Stuani) and the other is Dani Olmo. Per Opta in terms of per 90 minutes played, Isco ranks second in terms of assists and chances created - he is joint 12th in goals.  

Before Isco returned, Real Betis were 10th in La Liga, averaging 1.33 points per game across 15 matches. In the 19 matches since his return, they are averaging 1.95 points per game and only Barcelona and Real Madrid have better records.

It is an astonishing season by any stretch of the imagination and it begs the question, is this perhaps the best we have ever seen Isco play?

"It seems that at 33 years old, Isco is matching - or perhaps even surpassing - his best form," agrees Yago Hernandez Balanzategui of Eurosport Spain.

"He’s a more decisive player now than he was at Real Madrid and strongly resembles the Isco we saw with the Spanish national team during the 2017–18 season.

"His presence is clearly felt in Betis’ game, and Pellegrini uses a system where the attacking midfielder plays a key role, much like Fekir did in the past and now Isco does.

"From the outside, it definitely seems that every time he returns from injury - regardless of how long he’s been out - he comes back playing even better."

And more importantly than ever, the fun is still there. Little flicks, outrageous slide-rule passes you can barely believe, and the little shimmy is back. If you have watched Isco over the course of his career, you know exactly what little shimmy we are talking about. It is not quite full-on enough to be considered a certified dummy, but it is just enough to give Isco enough time and space to make a difference. It has been finding him time and space for over a decade, and it is still there.

Of course, we cannot talk about Isco and Betis without talking about Antony, who joined on loan from Manchester United in January. It has proven to be one those loans that might be short in length but long in impact.

If Isco is top of the list of must-watch footballers in the world right now, Antony has to be at least in the top 10, maybe even higher. He will never run a game in the way that Isco will, but he is capable of moments that even his new team-mate is not. Antony has produced the jaw-dropping moments – a bonkers goal against Fiorentina followed up by an even crazier one away at Espanyol amongst others – that not only Betis needed, but also Isco himself.

Isco’s career has almost always been about bringing the best out of others, only taking the spotlight when it is absolutely necessary. When you think back to that iconic Malaga team in 2011-12 when he played with Santi Cazorla, it makes sense. You can see so much resemblance between the two little magicians. Understandably, given the club he came from, and the fee that was paid for him by said club, Antony has taken all of the attention at Betis.

The Brazilian’s arrival, combined with that of striker Cucho Hernandez and the emergence of youngster Jesus Rodriguez, has given Isco the tools he needs to be at his best. With two of Pablo Fornais, Johnny Cardoso, William Carvalho and Sergi Altimira sitting deep to protect the back line and runners ahead of him, Isco can focus on what he does best, running games and creating magic. We simply do not see that many players with this level of genius in modern football.

Isco is a pure joy to watch, he is must-see TV, and you can catch him tonight against Fiorentina - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.