Barcelona beat Athletic Club 2-0 in a rescheduled La Liga matchday-one fixture on 29 August, and the club’s official website noted that it was the first time in Barcelona’s history that ten players born after 2000 started the same match. All four of the squad’s 2007-born players, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Bernal and Javi Espart, were in the starting eleven.
The four players had already been together for years before reaching the first team. Barcelona‘s website recalled that in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons they played alongside each other in the La Masia U12B and U13A sides, where they won league titles. They also shared those youth teams with Arnau Blanco, who is now part of Hansi Flick’s coaching staff.
How each player made it to the first team
Yamal was the first of the four to break through. He made his senior debut under Xavi Hernandez in the 2022-23 season and established himself as a regular in 2023-24. Cubarsi followed in that same season, earning the man-of-the-match award in a Champions League game while still 17.
Bernal got his chance after Flick took charge, but a serious injury kept him out for more than a year. He has since returned to the level he showed before the setback and is again a regular in midfield. Espart made his debut in the last-16 first leg of the Champions League against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, and this summer he won the European Under-19 Championship with Spain and impressed in pre-season, earning the number 12 shirt.
Espart’s versatility sets him apart
Espart, from Vilassar de Mar near Mataro, first appeared for the first team at right back under Flick. He has since played as a central midfielder, including in the Joan Gamper Trophy, and started both of Barcelona’s opening La Liga matches of the 2026-27 season at left back.
Barcelona’s website described his ability to perform naturally in several positions as the quality that drew Flick’s attention from the moment he joined the senior squad.
A shared trophy and more to come
The four players shared their first senior trophy together in the 2025-26 season, when Barcelona clinched the La Liga title with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at the Nou Camp. All four are now fully registered first-team players and will train and compete together throughout the 2026-27 campaign.
Barcelona have played one La Liga match in the 2026-27 season, the rescheduled fixture against Athletic Club on 29 August.
