Six Barcelona Youngsters Hoping for Breakout Seasons in 2026

Barcelona’s success throughout history can’t be explained without the contributions of players that emerged from the club‘s prestigious academy: La Masia. The reliance on youth is essential to Barcelona, and a new group of young academy talents could be ready to announce themselves to the world in 2026–27.

From Lionel Messi to Lamine Yamal, La Masia graduates are the heart and soul of Barcelona. Since his arrival two seasons ago, Hansi Flick has made a concentrated effort of promoting a number of academy players and trusting them with significant minutes for the senior team.

This time last year, Dro Fernández was unknown to the world when Flick included him in Barça’s preseason. Now, he’s a Champions League winner for Paris Saint-Germain after Luis Enrique fell in love with his quality and poached him away less than six months after his Barça debut.

Every year it seems a new handful of La Masia graduates burst onto the scene and immediately showcase they have the potential to become world class players and key contributors to Barcelona’s future. There’s no reason to believe this year will be any different.

Here’s six Barcelona youngsters that could enjoy a breakout season in 2026–27.

Tommy Marqués

No team in the world is more synonymous with producing elite midfield talents than Barcelona, and 19-year-old Tommy Marqués could be next in line. He didn’t experience the meteoric rise through the academy like Yamal and Pau Cubarsí enjoyed, but Marqués looks ready for his big break.

Flick opted against including Marqués in Barça’s Asia preseason tour last summer, but before the mid-point of last term, the teenager was already fully involved in the first-team dynamic and made his senior debut in February. He played a total of two games a season ago.

On the pitch, he moves and plays eerily similarly to his boyhood idol: Frenkie de Jong. Marques has all the technical and positional traits of a La Masia midfielder, but he also uses his long strides to progress the ball up the pitch through De Jong–esque runs.

The Dutchman’s knee injury opens the door for others to capture his vacant minutes, and with Barcelona not expected to address the midfield during the transfer window, Marqués could benefit from his idol’s spell on the sidelines.

“Tommy Marqués is really good,” Pedri said earlier this year. “There’s some things he must improve on but he’s going to have a great future.”

Hamza Abdelkarim

Barcelona’s major desire to sign a world-class striker this summer has stolen headlines for months. Still, Barça’s striker of the future might already be at the club in the form of 18-year-old Egypt international Hamza Abdelkarim.

The young Egyptian joined Barcelona’s youth ranks on loan during the winter window but the Catalans signed him permanently for an initial fee worth $1.7 million soon after the end of the season.

Abdelkarim is a true center forward, a physical presence that’s comfortable with his back towards goal and is also capable of exploiting space with deceptive speed. In front of goal, he’s prolific, evidenced by his six goals in 10 games for Barça’s youth side ever since his arrival.

His performances with the academy resulted in him being part of Egypt’s 2026 World Cup squad. Despite his tender age and lack of senior experience, he played four games and 57 total minutes during Egypt‘s tournament campaign in North America. Abdelkarim reported back early to feature from the start of Barcelona’s preseason.

The Catalans are running out of time to secure an elite striker reinforcement this summer. If no new center forward arrives, Abdelkarim could be one of the alternatives Flick turns to at some point next season. He’d be the only true, natural center forward in Barça’s squad.

Xavi Espart

Injuries at the fullback position as the calendar turned to March resulted in Xavi Espart not only making his professional debut, but also featuring in four consecutive games to start his senior career.

The diminutive fullback is a tenacious defender and boasts a strong frame that allows him to compete despite his lack of height. He’s at his best with the ball at his feet, a gifted technician that plays as a right back but has the heart of a midfielder.

This summer, Espart shined playing as an inverted fullback who pulled the strings in midfield, helping Spain conquer the U-19 Euros and earning an inclusion in the team of the tournament.

The 19-year-old right back could see an increase in his minutes come 2026–27 if Jules Koundé doesn’t rediscover his best form. The Frenchman might also be forced to play more minutes at center back given Barça’s refusal to unload resources to acquire one in the transfer market.

Still, Espart has already shown he belongs with the senior team, and 2026–27 will be the year he leaves no doubt about it to the entire world.

Shane Kluivert

Son of the legendary Patrick Kluivert and brother of Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert, Shane Kluivert has been quietly progressing through La Masia’s ranks and could be near a chance with the first team.

The 18-year-old Dutchman joined La Masia from PSG—the team his father worked at as technical director at the time—in 2017. Since, he’s consistently continued his development and Barcelona placed their faith in him recently by extending his contract until the summer of 2028.

Kluivert is an energetic winger capable of taking people on and being a constant threat. In a way, playing that position is his biggest disadvantage given Barcelona have spent big on wingers Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi this summer. Plus, he’s a natural right winger, a position exclusively reserved for Yamal at Barça.

But Kluivert remains one of La Masia’s most exciting talents and is part of the group of youngsters that traveled with Barcelona’s senior team to their preseason in the United Kingdom. Strong showings this summer could make Flick consider him as yet another valuable tool in an already mighty attack.

Ebrima Tunkara

The youngest player Flick decided to include in Barcelona’s preseason tour, 16-year-old Ebrima Tunkara is arguably La Masia’s most prized possession presently.

The Spaniard with Gambian descent was recognized as the best player of this summer’s U-17 Euros, an award previously won by players such as Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fàbregas and Toni Kroos. He scored once and registered four assists as Spain lost to Italy in the semifinals. Tunkara, a left-footed No. 10, is mostly deployed as an attacking midfielder that is already turning heads for his innate playmaking quality.

Tunkara scored after just three minutes on the pitch against CE Europa in Barcelona’s preseason debut last week.

The 2010-born gem is still a raw prospect and it’s very unlikely he features prominently with the senior team once the season starts. Still, he’s one to watch for the future and there’s a good chance he makes his professional debut at some point in 2026–27.

Marc Bernal

One could argue that Marc Bernal’s breakout happened a season ago considering he played over 1,000 minutes across 33 appearances. Nevertheless, 2026–27 could be the campaign where the still 19-year-old midfielder leaves no doubt that he’s Sergio Busquets’s true heir.

Bernal has all the traits to become a mainstay in Barcelona’s midfield for years to come. He’s an athletic midfielder with a knack for goal—he scored five a season ago—that covers ground and reads the game very well. He’s also a tempo-setter in midfield with a prodigious left-foot that can pick out any pass. Defensively, his height makes him a valuable asset.

It’s clear Flick trusted him ever since he arrived at the club given he started the first three games of the German’s tenure in 2024–25. A torn ACL sidelined him for over a year and after gradually returning to action, he became a regular starter for Barça during the second half of 2025–26 before an ankle injury compromised his end of the term.

Back to full health and almost two years removed from his serious knee injury, Bernal seems poised to fight for a starting role immediately, especially with De Jong sidelined for the foreseeable future. Cubarsí and Yamal may have experienced earlier breakouts, but Bernal could become as impactful for Barça as his fellow 2007-born pair of teammates.

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