FC Barcelona once again demonstrated that its sporting project looks to both the present and the future. In the match against Betis, Hansi Flick's team presented a starting lineup with an average age of 23.34 years, making it the youngest starting XI for the Blaugrana side in the last 95 years in LaLiga.
According to data shared by journalist Oriol Jové, this average age had not been reached since December 28, 1930, when Barça defeated Racing de Santander with an eleven that averaged 23.09 years. Beyond the historical figure, the data reinforces the direction set by the club: a young, competitive team with extraordinary potential.
A Record That Confirms Barça's New DNA
Youth is not a one-off resource for Barça, but a structural element of the project. In recent years, the club has consolidated a core group of homegrown players and new signings who have successfully integrated into the playing style. The blend of young talent and selective experience has allowed for the construction of a dynamic team, capable of sustaining a demanding competitive rhythm
The lineup presented against Betis is a perfect reflection of this philosophy: players from La Masia, young internationals, footballers who are already leaders despite their age, and new strategic pieces. Together, they achieved a milestone that is not a coincidence, but a consequence of coherent planning.
A Barça with an average age of 23.34 years: how a historic record is being built
The value of 23.34 years not only stands out for being the lowest since 1930 in a LaLiga match. It also highlights the continuity of a trend: Barça has played numerous matches in recent seasons with averages under 25 years old, but has never dropped as low as this time.
The only younger record occurred on September 9, 1984, against Zaragoza, when a footballers' strike forced the team to field an eleven composed entirely of youth players. That starting lineup achieved an average age of 20.69 years, although it is not considered in the official statistics due to it being an extraordinary circumstance.
The Barcelona lineup that broke a 95-year record
The lineup that made history combined youth, personality, and versatility. These were the footballers and their exact age on match day:
- Joan Garcia: 24 years, 7 months, and 2 days
- Alejandro Balde: 22 years, 1 month, and 18 days
- Pau Cubarsí: 18 years, 10 months, and 14 days
- Gerard Martín: 23 years, 9 months, and 10 days
- Jules Koundé: 27 years and 24 days
- Roony Bardghji: 20 years and 21 days
- Eric Garcia: 24 years, 10 months, and 27 days
- Pedri González: 23 years and 11 days
- Lamine Yamal: 18 years, 4 months, and 23 days
- Ferran Torres: 25 years, 9 months, and 7 days
- Marcus Rashford: 28 years, 1 month, and 6 days
With this lineup, coach Hansi Flick once again showed his full confidence in young players, especially those who are already decisive like Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal, or in players who have taken a step forward in their development, like Eric Garcia or Alejandro Balde.
La Masia, the silent engine of a competitive Barça
The weight of internal training continues to be one of the club's great strengths. In this lineup, several players trained at La Masia occupied key roles in defense, midfield, and attack. Barça's ability to produce footballers who understand the game from the ground up allows for the introduction of young players without the collective performance suffering
La Masia continues to be an inexhaustible factory of talent, and the numbers confirm it: Barça is, year after year, one of the teams in Europe that gives the most minutes to players trained in its academy. A differential value that few clubs in the world can sustain. Footballers like Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, or Pedri are destined to lead the Barça project for the next decade, while more experienced players like Ferran Torres or Koundé bring balance and hierarchy.
The challenge now will be to maintain this balance throughout the season, manage the performance peaks typical of such a young team, and continue to foster the development of a group destined to shape the future of the Barça club