The new record that Jules Koundé reached after the duel against Sevilla

Jules Koundé continues to gain more presence in the history books of FC Barcelona. The Barcelona right-back is possibly having his best season to date with the team. Even after playing 90 minutes in FC Barcelona's victory over Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuán (1-4), he achieved a significant milestone in his career with the club.

Koundé, who in the 2024-25 season has scored three goals and provided seven assists in a total of 36 matches (2,981 minutes), became the fifth French player with the most appearances in the history of FC Barcelona. Since joining the club in the summer of 2022, Jules has played in 124 matches, equalling Ludovic Giuly for the fifth position.

Jules Koundé's statistics at FC Barcelona:

• Matches: 124 (87 in LaLiga | 10 in the Copa del Rey | 19 in the UEFA Champions League | 6 in the Spanish Super Cup | 2 in the Europa League)
• Goals: 6
• Assists: 17
• Minutes played: 10,536
• Matches by position: 84 as a right-back | 40 as a central defender

Who does Jules Koundé need to surpass to reach the 'top 1' of this ranking?

Currently, Koundé, a defender who is under contract with FC Barcelona until June 30, 2027, is just behind Samuel Umtiti (4th with 134 matches), Clément Lenglet (3rd with 160), Ousmane Dembélé (2nd with 185), and the legendary Éric Abidal (1st with 193). With his prominence in the Barcelona squad, it is likely that he will easily surpass these records if he stays healthy, being a key piece in Hansi Flick's setup.

At this point, fortunately for Koundé, he has managed to evade the competition in the defense, which is currently dominated by Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez, with Eric García, Ronald Araujo, and Andreas Christensen to strengthen that position. He has established himself as a right-back, a position that he initially did not seem to like very much but has now fully embraced.

This change has resulted in a notable increase in the quality of his game, as he has enhanced his defensive qualities and added an important offensive component to his repertoire. As a result, he has entered the conversation as one of the best footballers in the world in that position, becoming a crucial solution for FC Barcelona, which has long been in search of a reliable player for that position.