FC Barcelona appointed Raphinha as its first captain and Pedri as its second captain.
The remaining three spots were filled through a squad vote, not by the manager’s sole appointment.
barca, observed in Indonesia’s search market, brings together the captaincy announcement and Lamine Yamal’s potential record.
3-Line Summary
1. Barcelona appointed Raphinha as captain
2. Pedri is second, and the three remaining spots were chosen by the squad
3. Yamal’s record as the youngest captain remains conditional
Raphinha and Pedri: The Two Spots the Manager Chose First
In a report published on September 6, Hansi Flick, FC Barcelona’s manager, said he had appointed Raphinha as the first captain and Pedri as the second captain. Raphinha is a Brazilian winger, while Pedri is a Spanish midfielder. Sports Illustrated reported that Raphinha became the club’s first permanent Brazilian captain.
The reasons Flick gave were not limited to impressive individual résumés. While referring to Raphinha and Pedri’s influence on the team, he also said that the two players appear in matches almost all the time. The captaincy order can therefore be read as a choice that places weight not only on symbolism off the field but also on players who can continue to take part in actual matches.
In particular, explicitly identifying the first and second captains differs from announcing five names in a single line. It confirms the priority that Raphinha comes first in leading the armband, followed by Pedri. This is not visible from the fact alone that both players are members of the captaincy group.
Raphinha’s nationality is an element explaining the historical significance of this appointment, but the more direct basis in the manager’s comments was influence within the team and frequency of appearances. Reading this announcement solely as a record of being the ‘first Brazilian player’ would therefore overlook the leadership criteria presented by Flick.
Eric García, de Jong, and Yamal Were Chosen by the Squad
Flick explained that he chose two players himself and that the team selected the remaining players. As a result, Eric García, Frenkie de Jong, and Lamine Yamal were included in the captaincy group. Eric García is a Spanish defender, Frenkie de Jong is a Dutch midfielder, and Lamine Yamal is a Spanish forward.
The difference in selection procedures is not minor. Raphinha and Pedri occupy the two spots chosen directly by the manager, while the remaining three were named through the squad’s choice. Understanding the five players as having been selected through the same process would obscure the announcement’s central point.
Barca Blaugranes’ account of Flick’s explanation says the same thing. The manager said he chose Raphinha and Pedri, while the team chose the other three. What is confirmed here is the composition of the five-player group and the route by which they were selected. This announcement alone does not establish exactly how each player’s captaincy authority is divided or who will actually wear the armband in a particular match.
Flick also said that he knows the team better than before. However, that comment was background explaining the captaincy group; it did not mean that the manager unilaterally decided on the three players chosen by the squad. Distinguishing the manager’s two spots from the teammates’ three spots is the most accurate way to read this list.
Yamal’s Inclusion in the Captaincy Group at 19 and the Record Still Ahead
Lamine Yamal joined the captaincy group at 19. Sports Illustrated reported that if he wears the armband in an actual match this season, he could set FC Barcelona’s record as its youngest captain. The possibility has drawn attention because his inclusion in the captaincy group has already been confirmed.
However, the record has not yet been set. According to the article, the club’s record for the youngest captain in a competitive match belongs to Bojan Krkić, who wore the armband at 20 years and 56 days in the Copa del Rey in 2010. A case in which Pedri handed the armband to Gavi in a match following his return from injury was also introduced, but it did not say that Yamal had surpassed the record.
Yamal is reported to turn 20 in July of the following year. Therefore, if he wears the armband in an actual match during the 2026-27 season, the conditions for the record could be met. Inclusion in the captaincy group and achieving the youngest-captain record are separate stages.
During preparations for the Valencia match, Yamal trained separately from the team. Flick said that although the player was experiencing pain from a contusion, he would travel with the squad and said he could play. At the same time, he said the decision on whether Yamal would appear would be made after further observation. This is why his status at that point cannot be definitively described as either an absence or an appearance.
What was confirmed in this news was that Raphinha is the first captain and Pedri is the second captain. Eric García, de Jong, and Yamal joined as a result of the squad’s choice. Yamal wearing the armband and setting the youngest-captain record may be an intriguing next development, but according to the reports at the time, it remained a condition yet to be fulfilled.
References
- Sports Illustrated: Report on Raphinha and Yamal
- Barca Blaugranes: FC Barcelona news from September 6
- ESPN: Article on Raphinha’s appointment as captain
Tags #FCBarcelona #Barcelona #barca #Raphinha #Pedri #LamineYamal #HansiFlick #BarcelonaCaptain #EricGarcía #FrenkieDeJong #LaLiga #SpanishFootball