It has been a remarkable Barcelona season, culminating in a La Liga and Copa del Rey double along with the Supercopa de Espana.
In what was supposed to be a transitional season, Hansi Flick has made them a resilient team packed with academy stars from La Masia and senior players transformed. Barca are a global force to be reckoned with once again.
The Athletic has rated their squad based on performances this season, with the 30 players to have featured at least once across all competitions split into four tiers and their seasons given a score out of 10.
The indispensables
Lamine Yamal – 10/10
Yamal is a prodigious talent but his explosion this season has been outstanding. The 17-year-old managed five goals and five assists in La Liga last season but has nearly doubled that combined tally with eight and 13 in 2024-25. He has 17 goals and 25 assists in 53 matches across all competitions this season.
Yamal’s influence on this squad extends beyond that. His swagger and ability to create out of nothing have allowed him to chip away at defenders marking him — sometimes even two or three of them — until they are forced to give in. Yamal is aware of the attention he receives and the space that marking creates for his team-mates.
He has two games to beat the record for the most assists by a Barcelona player in a single season, held by his idol Lionel Messi (who produced 27 in 2019-20).
Raphinha – 10/10
This time last year, Raphinha was left on the bench for a 2-0 win at Almeria and played only 62 minutes in Barcelona’s penultimate match of the season, a 3-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano.
It summed up his Barcelona stint up to that point — in and out of the team and not trusted to complete 90 minutes by Xavi.
In 2024-25, under a new head coach, Raphinha has started 30 of Barca’s 36 league games and played until the final whistle in 23. He missed just 66 minutes of their Champions League campaign, starting all 14 matches as they reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2019 before losing to Inter over a crazy two-legged tie.
All of that has led to a devastating return of 34 goals and 22 assists from Raphinha, the most goal contributions by a Brazilian player in a single season for Barca. Raphinha has adapted his role to become a left-sided forward who tucks inside, dovetailing brilliantly with both Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres when needed.
His off-the-ball contributions have been vital, with the 28-year-old leading Barcelona’s press and tracking back. Raphinha epitomises Flick’s physical transformation of Barcelona.
Pedri – 10/10
Pedri ran the risk of becoming one of the ‘if only he could stay fit…’ cases in football just four years into his senior career. But any of those lingering doubts have been dispelled in style this season.
The Spain midfielder has started 47 of Barcelona’s 50 matches across La Liga and the Champions League. He is the centrepiece of this team, kick-starting attacks and deftly picking apart opposition blocks. Pedri glides through games with the ball and runs his socks off without it, while showing incredible elegance and poise.
He has the sophisticated air of a veteran midfield general and it is easy to forget he is still only 22.
Robert Lewandowski – 9/10
Another whose future was questioned last summer, Lewandowski has bounced back spectacularly. The 36-year-old veteran has led the team, and especially his attacking partners Yamal and Raphinha, by example, with 40 goals in 50 matches.
Back in their league opener against Valencia, Lewandowski scored Barca’s equaliser from a sweeping move to inspire the first of nine wins from behind across all competitions. Important goals followed away against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, and at home against Alaves and Rayo Vallecano. Lewandowski racked up 11 goals in Europe too.
Injuries have limited his impact in the final weeks of the season but Barca missed Lewandowski’s physical presence against Inter’s tough back line.
Alejandro Balde – 9/10
Like Lewandowski, Balde’s end to this campaign has been disrupted by injury. The left-back was sorely missed against Inter, with Denzel Dumfries leaving the left side of Barcelona’s defence dizzy.
Balde’s recovery pace is crucial to their high line. He is comfortably the quickest among their defenders. The 21-year-old offers verticality in attack, regularly pushing up to the left wing to allow Raphinha to wander inside and wreak havoc.
His running power with the ball is extraordinary, as evidenced by his assist for Raphinha in the home leg of the Champions League round-of-16 tie against Benfica. Finding a reliable backup for Balde should be one of Barcelona’s objectives for the summer, but that is easier said than done.
Inigo Martinez – 9/10
Martinez’s arrival on a free transfer from Athletic Club in 2023 went under the radar, but he has become one of Barca’s best signings in recent years.
The only naturally left-footed defender in the squad, Martinez has altered his game to fit in with Flick’s high line after spending much of his career playing for deeper defences. His passing has been underrated, while he can regularly be seen instructing Balde to his left and Pau Cubarsi to his right on positioning and organisation.
The physical and mental toll of this system has shown in the latter parts of the season, with Martinez, who turns 33 on May 17, making some uncharacteristic errors in judgement. But Martinez’s contributions this season — which will see him win more titles (three) than he had in the whole of his senior career previously (one) — will not have gone unnoticed.
Pau Cubarsi – 9/10
Cubarsi’s conviction in his abilities at a young age rivals that of Yamal at the other end of the pitch.
Be it his line-breaking passes, impeccably timed tackles or leaps well beyond his 6ft (184cm) frame, the 18-year-old is a classy defender.
Cubarsi has also struggled with the high line at times, resulting in a couple of brain fades, such as with his red card against Benfica in the Champions League round of 16 or the mistake he made in the build-up to Kylian Mbappe’s penalty in the last Clasico of the season. But overall, this season has been another big step in the right direction.
Jules Kounde – 9/10
Having previously stated that he prefers playing at centre-back, Kounde has become one of Europe’s best right-backs.
He is a key part of Barcelona’s pressing structure, sometimes pushing close to the penalty area. The seemingly tireless France international has largely held his own against talented wingers but his aggression has led to him leaving space in behind that opponents have exploited.
When Barcelona have possession, Kounde’s chemistry with Yamal has proved vital. The right-back has benefited from the increased attention on the winger, as evidenced by his hat-trick of assists against Serbian side Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League. He was another miss for the second leg against Inter after picking up a hamstring injury in the first leg.
Frenkie de Jong – 9/10
For the first time in two summers, the noise around De Jong’s Barcelona future should (at least theoretically) be quietened.
A tough start to the season due to an ankle injury saw the 28-year-old play just 284 minutes across the first 20 La Liga matches. But he has become crucial in the second half of the season, starting all their Champions League knockout games and leading the team in the Copa del Rey final. His partnership with Pedri at the base of midfield has seen him channel his Ajax performances, slaloming through crowded blocks to feed his team-mates and recycling possession when required.
The final months of the season have seen De Jong occasionally go missing in crucial moments while his energy levels have appeared to drop. But this has undoubtedly been his best season since arriving in 2019.
Wojciech Szczesny – 8/10
Having retired at the end of last season, Szczesny returned to sign for Barca following Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s long-term injury and has suffered just two defeats since taking over the No 1 spot from Inaki Pena in early 2025.
The road has not been without mishaps. Szczesny has swept up well behind Flick’s high line and has tailored his distribution to different situations but there have been errors, conceded penalties and a red card for good measure.
Overall, though, the Szczesny experiment has been a success beyond what Barca could have imagined and his experience has been hugely valuable.
Brilliant backups
Ferran Torres – 9/10
A return of a goal every 101 minutes would be more than enough for a starting striker. That Torres has added seven assists to his 19 goals in under 2000 minutes of action this season makes him the best backup forward in Europe.
He scored twice in the 4-2 La Liga comeback win at Atletico in March and the opener in the 4-3 victory against Celta Vigo in the league.
A tournament-high six goals in the Copa del Rey included game winners against both Madrid sides in their final two matches, while he scored in the 3-3 draw against Inter too. To cap it all off, Torres notched up a hat-trick of assists in last weekend’s 4-3 Clasico success before undergoing season-ending surgery for appendicitis.
The 25-year-old proved to be an asset off the bench and led the line brilliantly in Lewandowski’s absence.
Eric Garcia – 9/10
Garcia was a prime candidate to depart Barcelona in the summer and in January. His best season since returning to his boyhood club from Manchester City in 2021 was when he was on loan at Girona last year as they secured Champions League football.
Instead, Garcia has become one of Barcelona’s best utility players, featuring at centre-back, in central midfield and, most recently, as a right-back against Vinicius Junior. Flick has often trusted him to help close out games and he has delivered goals too, scoring against Benfica and Inter in the Champions League and in the latest Clasico.
His playing style and decision-making speak to his maturity despite only being 24.
Fermin Lopez – 9/10
Lopez is another star in the making from La Masia. His initial days in the first team hinted at an energetic player eager to snap into tackles and rush passes to get his team on the front foot.
As this season has progressed, Lopez has begun doing the little things right and understanding the tactical demands placed on him. He is an effective dribbler, makes superb off-the-ball runs and — barring his erratic one-on-one finishing — scores excellent goals. His late disallowed effort against Madrid last week exemplified all three of those qualities and he scored the second goal against Espanyol on Thursday to seal the title for Barca.
An immensely talented player with a bright future.
Gavi – 8/10
Barcelona have been careful with Gavi’s minutes since his return from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. But when he has started games, the 20-year-old has proved his value.
He scored in the Supercopa semi-final against Athletic before winning a penalty in the final against Real Madrid. In La Liga, he scored in the 1-1 draw against Real Betis and was one of Barcelona’s best players on the night, proving that he can challenge for a starting berth next season.
Gavi’s physical, all-in approach to defending and technical quality with the ball are welcome additions to a Barca midfield that has more of the latter than the former.
Inaki Pena – 8/10
It is easy to forget Pena kept Szczesny out of the starting XI for a period before the veteran eventually took over.
In that time, Pena did an admirable job, keeping six clean sheets across La Liga and the Champions League. He initially struggled with the high line and even after adjusting, preferred the comfort of operating in and around the box rather than near the halfway line. Even so, his performance in the 4-0 league win at the Bernabeu stood out.
Pena lost his place in the team after missing a team meeting and has only played 121 minutes since the start of 2025 across the two domestic cups. But his contributions should not be swept aside.
Dani Olmo – 7/10
Availability has been Olmo’s biggest issue since becoming Barca’s marquee signing last August. He has missed 15 matches across competitions due to muscular issues, a pattern throughout his career. The Spaniard has completed 90 minutes in a game only once all season (the 5-1 win against Betis in the Copa del Rey) and long-running registration issues did not help.
When fit, Olmo has provided glimpses of what he was signed for, with excellent control in tight spaces and neat passes to tick play over. His debut after the initial wait for his registration brought a winner against Rayo Vallecano. He broke the shackles in a difficult fixture at Las Palmas in February. Olmo also scored and won a penalty in the April win against Celta before scoring the winner three days later against Real Mallorca.
In some of the biggest games of the season, Olmo struggled with the physical demands placed on him, but a full pre-season should help.
Marc Casado – 7/10
Initially viewed as an extra body in central midfield, Casado was forced to operate as a No 6 (defensive midfielder) after injuries to Marc Bernal and De Jong.
He rose to the occasion, excelling in wins against Bayern and Real Madrid in October with an assist in either game. The 21-year-old does not boast Bernal or De Jong’s elegance but is front-footed out of possession and helped Barca suffocate teams in midfield before a knee injury in March.
Those qualities also led to some mistimed tackles and rash decisions, but Casado will be a better player for this season.
Gerard Martin – 7/10
Filling Balde’s shoes is an unenviable task — few full-backs in Europe possess his attacking skill set. Thrown into the deep end, Martin did as well as he could.
Flick initially used him at the end of games while pushing Balde up to the left wing. Martin’s form was mixed when he started matches, struggling against Rayo and Osasuna but impressing against Villarreal.
In the last two months, his league form has been solid, with his maiden goal for the club against Real Sociedad in March followed by an assist for Lopez’s winner at Real Valladolid this month. He also grabbed two assists to bring Barcelona back against Inter at San Siro with fine crosses.
Martin struggled to cope with the high line, while Dumfries dominated him physically across both legs.
Ronald Araujo – 6/10
Araujo became Barca’s third-choice centre-back early in the season due to a hamstring injury sustained in the Copa America with Uruguay.
The Uruguay international has made just 16 starts across all competitions and has not looked comfortable in Flick’s defensive setup. He does not have the passing range of Cubarsi or Martinez and does not defend space particularly well, allowing opponents to drag him out of position or pin him back.
Araujo’s best games have come when Barca have dropped deep, as they did after Cubarsi’s dismissal at Benfica in the Champions League round of 16 or in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg at Atletico. He helped Barca close out both games, as well as the Copa and Supercopa finals.
Araujo was among several players, including Pedri, Gavi and Cubarsi, to sign lengthy contract extensions during the season. But doubts linger over his future and a parting in the summer might be mutually beneficial.
The ones who struggled for playing time
Pablo Torre – 7/10
Torre’s Barcelona career has not got going since arriving from Racing Santander in 2022.
He is a tidy player and protects the ball well and there have been promising signs this season. He started three league matches in a row in September, grabbing a goal and an assist before jumping off the bench to score twice against Sevilla in October. He also recorded a goal and two assists in the Copa del Rey third round against Barbastro.
But Torre’s lack of physicality and the heavy competition for spots in midfield have counted against him since November.
Hector Fort – 6/10
An encouraging prospect with the ability to play in either full-back position, Fort has impressed in his brief appearances but you sense Barca have not unlocked his full potential.
Kounde’s reliability has meant Fort — who is often pictured with Yamal off the pitch — has made just five starts from 19 appearances across competitions. He impressed at left-back as a starter against Mallorca in late April but Flick then stuck with Martin in Balde’s absence through injury. Fort had an encouraging cameo at right-back in the title-clinching win at Espanyol.
Pau Victor – 6/10
Victor, who found himself in a similar registration dilemma to Olmo, may have been given more playing time were it not for Torres’ spectacular season. He has been on the pitch for just 362 minutes, scoring twice and assisting once.
The 23-year-old has the raw materials to become a decent striker, including a decent burst of acceleration, but needs to play more to develop, which might not happen at Barca.
Ansu Fati – 6/10
Fati staying at Barcelona this summer was encouraging, but the season has largely been a disappointment from the man who was La Masia’s great hope before Yamal.
Foot and muscular injuries marred his start to the season. He is firmly behind the first-choice front three, Torres and Victor in the pecking order, making minutes hard to come by, even when he returned to fitness.
Starts against Mallorca and Valladolid brought a few sparks, but the 22-year-old did not complete either game.
Andreas Christensen – 5/10
An Achilles tendon issue and then a muscular injury have severely impacted Christensen, limiting him to just five appearances this season. But he was trusted for the final seven minutes of the first leg against Inter and was one of Barca’s better performers against Real Valladolid this month, completing 90 minutes in a league game for the first time since March 2024.
The Dane made a telling contribution in last weekend’s Clasico, with a crunching slide tackle on Mbappe in the final 30 minutes, before putting in an assured performance in the 2-0 win at Espanyol. If Christensen stays at Barca and is fit, he could be a useful squad option next season.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen – 5/10
Ter Stegen ruptured his patellar tendon in September, ruling him out for over seven months. In the six league games before that, the German was caught wanting on a few occasions with his handling, though his distribution remained solid.
He looked rusty in his first game back — the 2-1 win at Valladolid — but is expected to take over the No 1 spot next season.
The future
Marc Bernal – 6/10
Bernal played 244 minutes this season before his ACL injury. But the 17-year-old’s lanky 6ft 3in (190cm) frame and composure on the ball stood out and his return is eagerly awaited.
Sergi Dominguez – 5/10
Dominguez featured in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey in the first half of the season but the 20-year-old centre-back spent most of the season with the B team, Barcelona Atletic.
Dani Rodriguez – N/A
Rodriguez, 19, looked bright in his maiden start for the club against Valladolid but lasted just 38 minutes after suffering a shoulder injury.
Toni Fernandez – N/A
Fernandez’s only appearance came in the closing moments of the Copa del Rey win over Barbastro. The 16-year-old forward has excelled for Barcelona Atletic, though, with seven goals in 21 league matches.
Andres Cuenca – N/A
Cuenca, 17, played the final six minutes of the 5-0 win against Young Boys in the league phase of the Champions League. He played in every knockout-round game for Barcelona Atletic in the UEFA Youth League, though, scoring in their 4-1 win over Trabzonspor in the final.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
