The teens of Barcelona’s men’s soccer team are fitting in well as they are finding a role for themselves among many of the veterans.
As of right now, the Barcelona team is standing at 7-3-1, and is ranked fourth in the Spanish LALIGA. They have won three of the last five games, beating FC Porto, Athletic Club, and Shakhtar Donetsk. The other two matches resulted in a tie against Granada, and a loss against Real Madrid. Their next match is scheduled for November 4, 2023, against Real Sociedad, who is ranked fifth, right behind Barcelona.
The team has 10 teenagers rostered, yet there are some who have not made their debut yet. One who has made his debut, is 17 year old, Marc Guiu, who’s first start came against Athletic Club on October 22, 2023. He scored to give his team the win. Another teenager, who has been playing all season is Lamine Yamal, a 16 year old, who scored in the game against Granada. Even though it was not his debut, his goal helped the team grab a tie in an evenly matched game against a tough team. Another standout teen on the roster is Pablo Gavi, who has 1 goal and 1 assist on the season. Although his stats might not show it, he has made an appearance in all 11 of the teams’ matches, which is rare for a teenager.
The team’s head coach, Xavi Hernadez, has a lot of hope for the future of this team. He praises all of the teenagers, Guiu, Gavi, and Yamal, who have stepped up in the program to show off their skills, and have made an impact on the team’s season so far. Not only have they stepped up, Xavi has seen that these individuals have no fear of stepping into these bigger roles. Despite the age gaps between them and the older players, Xavi believes that these teenagers are going to become the face of Barcelona.