[4] Similarly, during that years he complemented his football career with technical studies of physical activity at the University of the Americas,[5] where he had as classmates to his teammates Fernando Meneses, Luis Mena and Miguel Riffo.

[5] After an injury to Eduardo Lobos, manager Jaime Pizarro gave Bravo his first chance, which would be however short-lived, as he too was injured, which prompted the subsequent signing of Jonny Walker.

[6] For the 2006–07 season, Bravo signed a five-year contract with Real Sociedad in Spain,[7] in a reported €1.2 million deal[8] – he and Asier Riesgo formed the youngest pair of goalkeepers that year in La Liga.

He started on the bench, but eventually gained the battle for first-choice (29 games to nine) as the Basque side was relegated (despite this, he finished in fifth place for the Ricardo Zamora Trophy with a goal-against average of 1.00); his league debut came on 22 October 2006, in a 0–0 away draw against RCD Mallorca.

[11] On 24 January 2010, Bravo was sent off for the first time in a loss to Elche CF at Anoeta Stadium, fouling Óscar Trejo in the ninth minute, from which Jorge Molina scored a penalty for the only goal of the game.

[12] Three weeks later, he scored the first goal of his career, from a direct free kick against Gimnàstic de Tarragona, the game's only in a home triumph;[13][14] however, shortly after, he suffered a severe knee injury during Real Sociedad's 2–0 loss at Córdoba CF, which rendered him unavailable for the remainder of the season.

[33][34][35][36] On 24 October 2017, after a 0–0 home draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first 120 minutes of the EFL Cup fourth-round tie, Bravo saved two penalties to give his team a 4–1 win.

[38] On 25 February 2018, Bravo started in the EFL Cup final against Arsenal and got the assist for Sergio Agüero's opening goal in a 3–0 victory at Wembley Stadium, winning his first trophy with the club.

[52] He was also selected by new manager Jorge Sampaoli to the squad of 23 for the following edition,[53] starting all the games and conceding only four times – one by Australia, two by the Netherlands and one by Brazil – which again ended in the same stage and at the hands of the same opponent, but in a penalty shootout.

[58] In June 2016, he again captained Chile in the Copa América Centenario, during the final at MetLife Stadium, against the same opponent and also on penalties, he saved Lucas Biglia's attempt in an eventual 4–2 win.

[59] After sitting out the first two games at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, due to fitness problems,[60] Bravo started for the remainder of the tournament in Russia, notably saving all three penalty shootout attempts in the semi-finals against Portugal (0–0 after 120 minutes).

Prior to the start of the game the home crowd booed the playing of Chile's national anthem and in response a defiant message was left in the Chilean team's dressing room.

This event was criticized by the media in South America,[64] and two years later a witness revealed that Bravo was the one who had left this message;[65] additionally, the player was caught on camera kicking a door after the match.

[66] An authoritative presence in goal, Bravo was known for his agility, composure, and shot-stopping ability, as well as his reflexes and concentration; he was also highly regarded for his control, distribution and skill with the ball at his feet.