Lamine Yamal has been formally added to Barcelona’s five-man captaincy group for the 2026-27 season. The teenager was one of three names elected by his own teammates after Hansi Flick chose Raphinha and Pedri himself as first and second captains.

Frenkie de Jong and Eric García joined Yamal as the players’ picks, according to Barça Universal. The reshuffle was triggered by the summer loan departures of Ter Stegen and Araújo, who had held senior armbands in previous seasons.

Flick explained the logic of his own two picks in blunt terms.

“For me, when I see the team, the players who have a lot of influence, this is for me Raphinha and also Pedri,” the manager said, as reported by Sports Illustrated.

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For Yamal, the twist is a record within reach the moment he first wears the armband. Barcelona’s youngest-ever captain in a competitive match is Bojan Krkić, who was 20 years and 56 days old when he led the side in a Copa del Rey tie in 2010. Yamal does not turn 20 until July 2027, so any appearance as skipper this season would set a new club mark.

Flick’s answer to the leadership gap

The five-captain model itself is Flick’s response to a leadership gap. With Ter Stegen and Araújo out on loan, Fotmob noted the manager wanted regular starters in charge of the group, rather than repeating a season where the club captain rarely featured.

Yamal, now wearing the No. 10 shirt, has become one of those regular starters. He scored twice in a 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano, and again in a 5-0 win at Valencia’s Mestalla alongside goals from Fermín López, Raphinha and Pedri.

17 goals in four games, and a warning

Barcelona have won all four of their opening La Liga fixtures and scored 17 goals in the process. It is a tally the club has matched only twice in its history, in 1957-58 and 2011-12, Barça Universal reported. Real Madrid won the title on both of those previous occasions.

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The team sits top of La Liga with 12 points, three clear of Real Madrid after matchday four.

Feyenoord to open the Champions League

Barcelona begin their Champions League campaign against Feyenoord at Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday, with kick-off at 6:45pm local time.

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