Hansi Flick has finalised Barcelona’s captaincy structure for the 2026-27 season, with Raphinha first, Pedri second and Lamine Yamal included in the five-man leadership group. Flick said, “For me, it was important that I have two captains. I decided two and the other players were named by the team.”
Flick’s choice at the top
The order puts Raphinha and Pedri in the first two spots, then Eric García, Frenkie de Jong and Yamal. Flick also linked the decision to influence and reliability, saying: “For me, when I see the team, the players who have a lot of influence, this is for me Raphinha and also Pedri, also because they nearly always play. It was a clear decision.”
The numbers fit that reading. Raphinha has made 3 La Liga appearances and scored 5 goals, while Pedri has played 3 league matches. Barcelona have won their opening 3 league matches, so this is a leadership group built around players Flick expects to be involved early and often.
Yamal’s place and the fitness doubt
Yamal’s inclusion is the eye-catching part. He has been named as one of Barcelona’s captains at just 19, which already puts him in rare company at the club. The youngest player to wear the armband in a competitive match for Barcelona is still Bojan Krkić, who was 20 years and 56 days old.
There is also a short-term issue around his availability. Yamal missed Saturday’s final training session before Barcelona’s trip to Valencia, and Flick said he had pain from a knock and was training separately. “He trained separately. He’s fine. He’ll travel. We’ll see,” Flick said. Barcelona leave for Valencia with their captaincy order settled and one of their newest leaders still being managed carefully.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
