Lamine Yamal has entered Barcelona’s captaincy group for the first time in his career at just 19 years old, becoming the fifth captain for the Catalan club for the 2026–2027 season.
Hansi Flick confirmed the captaincy hierarchy, which starts with Raphinha, followed by Pedri, Eric García, Frenkie de Jong, and finally Yamal—reflecting a major shift in the dressing room following the departures of Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araújo.
How Barcelona Selected Their Captains
Flick altered the customary process where players voted on all team captains. The German manager personally appointed Raphinha and Pedri as first and second captains respectively, leaving the squad to vote on the remaining three positions.
The players voted for Eric García, De Jong, and Yamal in that order following nominations within the dressing room. Notably absent from the list was Gavi, who entered as a natural candidate before missing out to the rising star.
De Jong Pays the Price for Injury Mismanagement
De Jong represents the primary setback in the new hierarchy, dropping from second captain last season to fourth amid internal disappointment regarding his handling of a medial collateral ligament injury in his right knee.
The Dutch international played in the World Cup while managing pain before aggravating the injury, sidelining him for nearly four months. While this drew reservations from Flick, reports suggest the manager still plans to rely on him once fully fit.
Conversely, Raphinha’s appointment as first captain highlights his special connection with Flick, who transformed him into one of the world’s premier players. The Brazilian posted 34 goals and 22 assists across 57 matches in 2024–2025 before starting the current campaign with five goals in the opening three La Liga rounds.
Yamal’s inclusion among the five captains demonstrates that his influence extends beyond the pitch into the dressing room, though wearing the armband on matchdays will depend on the absence of the four captains ahead of him.
