Andrés García

The Spanish dream, from Aztec soil

Some bullfighters seem destined for the role from the moment they are born. Others need to discover it for themselves. And then there are those who simply grow up surrounded by bulls until one day they realise they no longer want to watch from the sidelines. Andrés García belongs to this last group.

The name may ring a bell for one very good reason: he is the younger brother of Octavio García ‘El Payo’, one of the most charismatic Mexican bullfighters of recent decades. But to stop there would be to tell only half the story. Andrés García González has long been trying to shake off that label to find his own voice when facing the bull.

Born in Querétaro on 5 November 2002, Andrés entered the world of bullfighting at a very young age, practically hand-in-hand with his brother. Today, with the experience he has gained in Mexico and several chapters already written in Spain, that childhood passion has become a professional career that is now entering a particularly important phase.

And perhaps that is the key to understanding him: Andrés does not want to be ‘just another Payo’. He wants to be Andrés García.

Who is Andrés García?

Andrés García González is a Mexican novillero born in Querétaro on 5 November 2002. He is the younger brother of the matador Octavio García ‘El Payo’, a fact that has inevitably shaped his early career, but which the bullfighter himself has sought to turn into a starting point rather than a destination.

His passion for bullfighting was born practically in the training pens. ‘El Payo’ would take him out to the countryside and, little by little, that young boy who accompanied his brother began to feel that he wanted to face the cows himself. He has explained that he began bullfighting at around the age of 13 or 14 and that it was precisely spending time with his brother that ultimately awakened his calling.

It is not hard to imagine the scene: a young boy watching from the barrier as his older brother risked his life, soaking up the conversations in the field, learning the names of the livestock farms and discovering that behind every pass with the muleta lies a different way of understanding bullfighting.

Until one day he decided to give it a go.

Andrés García’s training: more ‘campo bravo’ than bullfighting school

If one looks for the name of a specific bullfighting school in Andrés García’s biography, the answer is not straightforward. There is no reliable evidence that he undertook his main training at a formal bullfighting school, and it would therefore be incorrect to attribute him to any particular academy.

His true school has been the countryside.

In 2022, he took part in various training sessions as part of the ‘Campo para Novilleros’ project, organised by the National Association of Fighting Bull Breeders. That experience allowed him to broaden his contacts with different bull-breeding estates and gain valuable experience facing cows.

But there was another crucial step: Spain.

Andrés travelled there to continue his training and worked closely with Alejandro Talavante, accompanying him in the countryside and at various bullfights. The influence was significant. Talavante embodies precisely one of those approaches to bullfighting that Andrés himself has acknowledged admiring.

The Mexican has cited Morante de la Puebla, Alejandro Talavante and his own brother El Payo as his role models, though with a particularly revealing philosophy: to learn from them without sacrificing the search for his own identity.

Therein lies, perhaps, the first major trait of his bullfighting personality: admiration does not mean imitation.

The debut: Ezequiel Montes and two ears

His move into professional bullfighting came on 7 January 2023 in Ezequiel Montes, Querétaro.

Andrés García made his debut in a mixed bullfight, sharing the bill with the rejoneador Paco Velásquez and his brother Octavio García ‘El Payo’. The afternoon ended with two ears for the young man from Querétaro, one from each of his young bulls.

There could not have been a more symbolic setting.

Making his debut alongside the brother who had inspired his vocation – and doing so, moreover, by winning trophies – meant laying the foundation stone of a career in which he would no longer be able to hide behind his family name.

From that moment on, Andrés began to take on an increasingly demanding schedule.

Aguascalientes: the bullring that launched his career

If there is one bullring that played a special role in his early career, it is the San Marcos in Aguascalientes.

In March 2023, he made his debut there as part of the novilladas season. That afternoon, he cut two ears, one from ‘Tuco’ and the other from ‘Cominito’, both from Monte Caldera. His performance earned him a place in the winners’ bullfight held on 5 May, where he once again stood out: he cut one ear from ‘Paco’, from Caparica, and took a lap of honour with the other bull in his pair.

The final tally was resounding: Andrés García was the top winner of that San Marcos novillada season.

And beyond the trophies, a characteristic began to emerge there that would recur in his subsequent performances: when the novillo allows it, Andrés tries to fight with long passes, depth and without sacrificing expression.

In Aguascalientes, he also left one area for improvement, which he himself would acknowledge: the sword.

Because in bullfighting, you can perform very well and yet still come away empty-handed. And Andrés has had to learn that lesson more than once.

Guadalajara and the discovery of a young bullfighter with character

On 17 September 2023, another important event took place: his debut at the Nuevo Progreso bullring in Guadalajara.

The afternoon took a dramatic turn. The second young bull, following a pass by Andrés, charged fiercely towards the horse, causing a serious injury to the animal. The atmosphere was overshadowed by the incident. However, García remained composed and ended up cutting off one ear from ‘Inquieto’, from Puerto del Cielo, after a performance in which he produced some of the afternoon’s most outstanding passes with the muleta.

Critics then began to take notice of more than just his surname.

There was good taste, composure and finesse.

His swordwork wasn’t always on point, but there was promise.

And for a novice bullfighter, that can be even more important than a perfect record: leaving the fan with the feeling that there is still room for growth.

The great unfulfilled dream: La México

In 2024, Andrés García had marked one of the most important events of his short career in red on his calendar: his appearance at the Monumental Plaza México.

The date was set for 24 March, but the bull intervened before he could reach the arena.

During a training session in the wild, Andrés suffered two goring wounds, one 12 centimetres long and the other eight, in a sensitive area near the rectum. The incident forced him to go to hospital and caused him to miss the afternoon he had been waiting for for months.

There are moments that explain the profession of a bullfighter better than any statistic.

That was one of them.

He had prepared himself precisely to arrive at La México in the best possible condition. And it was during that preparation that the bull reminded him that in this profession there is never a straight path.

Andrés, far from hiding away, accepted the blow as part of the journey.

The opportunity, however, would eventually come.

The debut at Plaza México

Andrés García finally made his debut at La México on 18 August 2024, as part of a line-up that included Manuel Caballero and Bruno Aloi, facing young bulls from Campo Hermoso. His presence also marked the coming together of three young men from bullfighting families or dynasties linked to the world of bullfighting.

It was not an afternoon of great trophies, but it was a bullring appearance that went down in his record.

He subsequently returned to the Insurgentes bullring for the novillada of successful novilleros on 22 September 2024, alongside César Ruiz and Manolo González, facing bulls from Tenopala. Andrés was met with silence after the warning and received an ovation after the warning.

It may seem a modest result on paper. But La México does not give itself away easily.

And for a novillero, returning to an arena of that stature means that his name is beginning to make a name for itself.

How does Andrés García fight bulls?

This is, perhaps, one of the most interesting aspects of his biography.

Andrés García has declared his preference for classical and artistic bullfighting. Morante, Talavante and El Payo are among his role models, but his stated aim is to develop his own style.

In the bullring, he has been seen to favour ‘toreo al natural’ in particular, attempting to guide the young bull outwards and downwards when the nature of the charge allows it.

In June 2026, for example, he demonstrated this once again in Navas de San Antonio. He cut one ear from each of his young bulls and exited through the Puerta Grande alongside Borja Escudero and Juanillo. Critics highlighted moments of depth, length and a measured pace in his bullfighting.

And a few weeks later, in Malpartida de Plasencia, he once again exited through the Puerta Grande after cutting two ears from his second young bull.

This does not seem to be a coincidence.

There is a recurring theme: when he finds the right distance and manages to control the charge, Andrés prefers to fight slowly.

2026: Spain as a new arena

The 2026 season is proving particularly important for Andrés García as it marks his establishment in the Spanish bullrings.

The summer has presented him with a succession of engagements that demand more than just enthusiasm. La Línea de la Concepción, Tudela and Íscar were all part of a packed schedule in July, at a point in the season when the novillero faced three engagements in the space of just one weekend.

Then came further afternoons in the bullring and, with them, mixed results – something entirely to be expected in a career that is still taking shape.

In Íscar, on 26 July, he did not win any trophies, but he produced some quality moments with his first young bull and was given a standing ovation.

And that ability to keep improving even when the results aren’t going his way is, perhaps, one of the most important tests for any novice bullfighter.

Sigüenza: three ears to prove himself

The most recent and brilliant chapter of his season came on 15 August 2026 in Sigüenza, Guadalajara.

In a mixed novillada, he shared the bill with the rejoneador Roberto Armendáriz and the novillero Daniel Moset. Andrés García cut three ears — two and one — and was carried out on the shoulders of the crowd alongside Moset, who secured four trophies.

It was one of those afternoons that allow you to look back and appreciate the journey you’ve made.

That young man from Querétaro who began accompanying his brother to the tentaderos is now making his entrance in Spanish bullrings and fighting to carve out a place for himself in the rankings.

And there is still a long way to go.

A few days later, on 22 August, in Escalona, he once again delivered a remarkable performance on the natural side. Facing young bulls from Sorando, he performed two faenas in which his bullfighting on the left side stood out in particular, although his swordplay ultimately cost him the trophies. He was given a standing ovation for his first bull and received applause for the sixth.

It is almost a perfect snapshot of what his career has been so far: quality and ambition, but also the need to turn promising performances into resounding successes.

Andrés García’s finest performances

Talking about the finest performances of a novice bullfighter who is still building his career always feels somewhat provisional. The final chapter has yet to be written.

But there are afternoons that are already part of his development.

Aguascalientes, 2023. His debut at San Marcos, where he won two ears, followed by the winners’ gala where he was proclaimed the series’ top performer.

Guadalajara, 2023. His debut at Nuevo Progreso and his performance with ‘Inquieto’, which ended with one ear despite problems with the sword.

Navas de San Antonio, 2026. Two ears and the Puerta Grande after an afternoon in which he delivered moments of depth and measured grace.

Malpartida de Plasencia, 2026. Two ears from his second young bull and another exit carried on the shoulders of the crowd.

Sigüenza, 2026. Three ears and one of the most resounding performances of his Spanish campaign to date.

And I would add a performance that may not feature amongst his most highly awarded, but which speaks volumes about his development: Escalona, where, although he did not cut any ears, he produced some of his most powerful natural passes of the season and once again demonstrated that natural-style bullfighting is one of the paths he wishes to pursue.

Interesting facts about Andrés García

One of the most interesting facts is, in fact, his family connection to El Payo. Andrés is the matador’s younger brother and acknowledges that it was his brother who introduced him to the world of the tentaderos as a child.

Another is his training. Although his family background could have paved an easier path for him, his apprenticeship has been closely linked to the ‘campo bravo’ and various livestock farms, as well as his training period alongside Talavante in Spain.

It is also significant that Andrés has emphasised one idea from his very first interviews: to forge his own path.

He does not deny El Payo’s influence. On the contrary, he acknowledges it. But he knows that in bullfighting, one’s surname opens doors and, at the same time, can cast too long a shadow.

That is why he wants people, when they hear the name ‘Andrés García’, to think of a bullfighter in his own right, and not simply as the brother of another bullfighter.

What does the future hold for Andrés García?

The question remains unanswered. And perhaps that is what makes it so appealing.

Andrés García has youth, training, rural roots, significant experience in Mexico and now a Spanish campaign that is allowing him to test his abilities far from home. He also has one recurring challenge: the sword.

But he has something that cannot be learnt in any academy: hunger.

In a 2023 interview, he made a remark that perfectly sums up his mindset: he didn’t want to let a single afternoon slip by, nor did he want to let other novilleros get the better of him.

That is the nature of the novillero ranks: a constant battle.

Every afternoon counts. Every bull teaches a lesson. Every ear can bring you closer to a major bullring, and every botched thrust can force you to wait for another chance.

And Andrés García seems to have grasped that rule already.

Buy tickets to see Andrés García

For those who want to follow the Mexican novillero’s progress closely and see him perform live when he is scheduled to appear at a bullring, Servitoro is the best way to buy tickets securely and easily.

The advantage of using a specialist platform is being able to check available events and purchase tickets with greater ease, particularly when it comes to bullrings and festivals in high demand.

Because there are bullfighters whose statistics are worth following, and others who are worth watching as they develop in the ring.

Andrés García still falls into the latter category.

Andrés García still has a lot to say

Perhaps in a few years’ time we’ll look back on this phase and see it as the prologue. Or perhaps one of these afternoons in 2026 will end up being remembered as the moment when Andrés García ceased to be a rising star and became a reality.

That is precisely what is so fascinating about a novillero.

We still don’t know how far he can go.

We know where he comes from: Querétaro, the tentaderos with El Payo, his apprenticeship in the countryside, the influence of Talavante, his first ears, La México, a goring that forced him to wait, and now Spain as his new battleground.

The rest remains to be written.

And in bullfighting, there is perhaps nothing more beautiful than that: seeing a man step in front of a young bull without yet knowing what story he will ultimately tell.

Andrés García wants to tell his own story.

And everything suggests that we are still only seeing the first few chapters.