The Return of FC Barcelona

Aidan O’Callaghan ‘26

​FC Barcelona has long been a staple on the top of world soccer; however, ever since Lionel Messi left the club, there has been something missing. Longtime rival Real Madrid has seemed like the better club, especially with young stars Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe. Despite these strong opponents, Barcelona has remained resilient, picking up Bayern star Robert Lewandowski and new up-and-comers like Raphina and Lamine Yamal, the Spanish prodigy who led Spain to victory in the Euros. Lewandowski helped lead Barcelona to a La Liga championship in 2022, but the team hasn’t seen success on the European stage since 2015, with Real Madrid claiming victory in the Champions League 5 times since that date. This season, Barça seems revitalized, currently on a seven game winning streak, and near the top of the Champions League table. They are also currently leading La Liga, well ahead of Real Madrid in 2nd. Notably, the squad achieved a landmark 4-0 victory in El Classico, with Lewandowski scoring twice, and goals from both Raphina and Lamine Yamal as well. This result bodes very well for Barcelona because one of the two of those teams have won La Liga nine out of the last ten years. Also going their way, notable Champions League opponents Manchester City and Arsenal have suffered multiple recent defeats, paving an easier path for Barça to win the league. Despite a major overhaul of the roster of the team, FC Barcelona has come back, almost as good as before, even without the greatest player of all time to help them.