FC Barcelona: A 2025/2026 Season Preview

FC Barcelona will start the 2025/2026 season as defending treble champions of Spain.

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FC Barcelona starts its season on Saturday with an away trip to RCD Mallorca. Here’s a preview of the 2025/2026 campaign, where the pressure will be on to maintain a previously demonstrated, high level of success.

What happened last time out at FC Barcelona?

With Hansi Flick taking over the reins from Xavi Hernandez, things couldn’t have gone better for the FC Barcelona head coach. He delivered all three trophies on offer in Spain – the league, the Super Cup and Copa del Rey – while winning four Clasicos (two of which came in finals for those latter two competitions) against bitter rival Real Madrid.

What is expected of FC Barcelona this season?

The pressure will be on to repeat the success of last term, but fans might settle for less if its means going further in the Champions League. FC Barcelona came so close by reaching the semifinals and leading Inter Milan 6-5 on aggregate in the second leg at the San Siro. After the home team scored twice in regular time and extra time, however, Barca missed out on not reaching the decider for the first time since 2015.

Have FC Barcelona made new signings?

Yes, and good ones at that. Joan Garcia is the long-term heir to Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks bought from Espanyol, while Flick finally has the versatile forward he wants in Marcus Rashford – who can play anyway on the front line. Roony Bardghji is another punt for the future, that has managed to stay with the first team after impressing in preseason and could provide positional rivalry to Lamine Yamal on the right wing.

Who has left FC Barcelona made new signings?

Other than Inigo Martinez making a shock move to Saudi Arabia, no starting players have left FC Barcelona, despite rumors linking the likes of Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Frenkie de Jong to potential exits. Pau Victor has gone to Braga, though, while Pablo Torre should start against his old club for Mallorca on Saturday as Alex Valle did for Como in the Joan Gamper Trophy match.

What other major changes have taken place at FC Barcelona?

Perhaps the biggest one of note is that Lamine Yamal is FC Barcelona’s new number 10. Other than that, the club still doesn’t have a solid date for returning to its Spotify Camp Nou stadium despite announcing that it would do so for the Gamper. As things stand, Valencia on the weekend of September 14 is the next target date.

Who impressed in FC Barcelona’s preseason campaign?

Gavi. With three goals in three games in Asia, he was his team’s top scorer there. Finally over his November 2022 ACL tear, the midfielder should kick on this term and provide stronger positional rivalry to Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez for the attacking midfielder spot.

What does FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick have to say?

FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said: “We started our mission last season and we want to continue. When you win three titles, it’s not the end. It’s just like the progress. The progress is that also we continue.”

“We are focused and we want to win every match. It’s all about winning. I think we are in a good way, but we know also the opponents are very good in LaLiga and we have to give our best.

“It’s always about the results at the end. I think we have the quality to be a better team, but it depends on the results. The most important thing is that we have a deep belief in our mission, in our style, how we want to play. Everyone has to have self-confidence about these things.”

As said, FC Barcelona kicks off its 2025/2026 season with an away trip to RCD Mallorca at 19.30 local time on Saturday.