Barça Returns to Champions League Semis: Only 6 Barça Players Have Experience in This Stage, Who Are They?

After six years of absence in this type of stage, FC Barcelona has once again inscribed its name in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. Despite falling heavily in the Westfalenstadion (Signal Iduna Park) against Borussia Dortmund by 3-1, Hansi Flick's team took advantage of the lead obtained in the first leg—when they defeated the Germans 4-0—to end up prevailing in the series with an aggregate score of 5-3.

One of the most surprising facts about this pass to 'semis' is that, of all the Barça squad, only six players know what it is like to be in an instance of this caliber in the UEFA Champions League: Robert Lewandowski, Wojciech Szczęsny, Marc-André ter Stegen, Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen, and Ferran Torres (did not see minutes).

• Robert Lewandowski: 5 Champions League semifinals (2012-13 with Borussia Dortmund; 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2019-20 with Bayern Munich).
• Marc-André ter Stegen: 2 Champions League semifinals (2014-15 and 2018-19 with FC Barcelona).
• Wojciech Szczęsny: 1 Champions League semifinal (2016-17 with Juventus Turin).
• Frenkie de Jong: 1 Champions League semifinal (2018-19 with Ajax).
• Andreas Christensen: 1 Champions League semifinal (2020-21 with Chelsea).
• Ferran Torres: 1 Champions League semifinal (2020-21 with Manchester City).

In other words, only approximately 22% of the Barça squad has experienced such a demanding instance as this.

The New Generation of Barcelona Seeks Glory in the Champions League Semifinals

There is another particularly striking fact that speaks very well of the FC Barcelona sports project. And that is that, of the large core of players who will be in the 'semis', a significant part had not even debuted as professionals since the last time the Catalan club reached this stage.

It is not an exaggeration: when FC Barcelona faced its last 'semis' in the 2018-19 edition, Lamine Yamal was only 11 years old. Also, Pau Cubarsí and Héctor Fort were 12 years old, while others like Gavi were around 14, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casadó, and Fermín López were 15, and Ansu Fati (16) already stood out as a youth player.

Today, they are all part of an exceptional crop of players who have the Barça team alive in the Champions League and with the illusion of conquering a historic treble. All this, with a squad whose average age is only around 25 years.

Beyond the Champions League: The International Experience That Drives Barcelona

However, this fact should not generate too much alarm. Although many players in the current FC Barcelona squad have not played in Champions League semifinals, they do accumulate experience in decisive instances of other international competitions. For example:

• Lamine Yamal, Pedri González, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres reached the 'semis' of the 2024 European Championship, and even—except for Pedri and Ferran—played minutes in the final of the tournament.
• Pau Cubarsí, Fermín López, and Eric García know what it is like to be champions of the football tournament at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
• Jules Koundé reached the final of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the 'semis' of the 2024 European Championship with France.

These are some milestones that demonstrate that this squad, despite its youth, is seasoned for big stages and prepared to give its best in highly demanding contexts on its way to sporting glory.