“We want to win many games and many titles.”
Hansi Flick took the mic during the Joan Gamper Trophy and addressed Barcelona fans, speaking in Spanish for the first time since he arrived in Spain, delivering a clear message of what he hopes his team achieves during the 2025–26 season.
There’s a very different feeling surrounding Barcelona than there was this time last year. After failing to win a trophy in 2023–24, Flick arrived and led the club to their first ever domestic treble in 2024–25, playing like one of the best teams in the world.
Winning four El Clásicos to sweep the season series vs. bitter rivals Real Madrid was the highlight of a term where Barcelona overwhelmingly dominated Spanish soccer. Yet, a heartbreaking Champions League semifinals defeat vs. Inter Milan ended Barça’s quest for European glory.
Despite a summer where Barcelona’s deep-rooted financial issues reached the surface once again, the club managed to reinforce critical areas and the squad is arguably even better than last season.
A year ago, Barça’s expectation was to compete. Now, the expectation is to win everything single trophy they’ll fight for.
What Barcelona Hope to Achieve
Barcelona’s domestic expectations are very straightforward: to repeat 2024–25’s domestic treble.
It won’t be easy to do, nor will it be easy to repeat the level of success they had a season ago against Real Madrid, who enter the new campaign as Barça’s main challengers once again. Flick’s side are better on paper overall and it might take time for Los Blancos to gel under new manager Xabi Alonso. Still, it will be an even race for the crown of Spain’s top-flight.
But Barcelona’s main target and clear obsession is Europe. The club are starving to end a decade-plus long drought without lifting the Champions League trophy. After years of disappointing and even embarrassing performances in Europe, Barça were mere seconds away of the Champions League final a season ago, only for it to all fall apart in dramatic fashion.
Barcelona proved they’ve gotten rid of the continental stage fright they seemed to carry with them since the late 2010s. Now, it’s abundantly clear the club are ready and eager to bring a sixth Champions League trophy back home.
The Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup trophies will also be there for the taking. Although Barça might rotate their squad in these tournaments, the expectation will be to defend their crown in both of them.
Key Fixture Dates
El Clásico is always the most anticipated fixture of the season for Barcelona fans. For the second season in a row in La Liga, Barça will visit the Santiago Bernabéu in late October and then host Real Madrid in what could be a potential title-decider next May.
Barcelona will have to wait until 2026 for their two league fixtures against Atlético Madrid, same as their two Catalan derby meetings vs. Espanyol.
With the Champions League draw still pending, Barcelona must wait to learn who their eight league phase rivals will be.
Major Signings
Barcelona had a lightning fast start to the summer transfer market, completing the signing of promising, young goalkeeper Joan García from city rivals Espanyol. The Catalans beat plenty of other suitors and triggered García’s bargain €25 million ($28.8 million) release clause. Now, the 24-year-old Spaniard is poised to start for Barcelona this season.
Roony Bardghji became the second newcomer of the summer when Barcelona signed him from FC Copenhagen for just €2 million ($2.3 million). The 19-year-old winger is still a raw talent, but during preseason his quality and potential stood out. If he remains with the first team, he’s a strong candidate to help manage Lamine Yamal’s workload.
After swinging and missing in their attempts to lure Nico Williams and later Luis Díaz to Barcelona, the club finally landed the left winger they so desired in the form of Marcus Rashford. His time at Manchester United might’ve come to an abrupt and disappointing end, but if he returns to his best in Barcelona, then their attack just unlocked a new dimension. Rashford’s signing ultimately gives Flick even more flexibility in the final third.
Longstanding and well-documented financial woes handicapped Barcelona during the transfer market. Still, the club still managed a to secure valuable reinforcements to improve the squad. The only thing missing is for Barcelona to find a way to register their newcomers in time for the start of the season.
Breakout Stars
Marc Bernal started and impressed during Barcelona’s first three games last term. However, an ACL tear ended his season prematurely, one that promised to bring forth his first-team breakout after graduating from La Masia with flying colors. Despite the setback, 2025–26 could be everything 2024–25 wasn't for the young midfielder.
Comparisons can always be brittle, but for many Barcelona fans, Bernal is Sergio Busquets’s true heir. He’s tall, technically gifted and possesses and understanding of the game uncommon for his age. The 18-year-old central midfielder looked comfortable as Barça’s midfield anchor early last season, with his sublime left foot often being an avenue to begin attacks from deep. His size also allows him to recover balls by simply stretching his legs and be great in the air.
Bernal didn’t feature for Barcelona in preseason but has trained with the team over the past month. Flick will reintroduce him with ease, but as he begins to get more playing time, he’s got the quality to earn a prominent role come the decisive part of the season.
Yamal and Pau Cubarsí are already penciled in starters for Barça and it wouldn’t be shocking if Bernal, the captain of their La Masia age-group, reaches that status late in 2025–26.
Season Prediction
“We’re going to fight for every single trophy,” Barcelona captain Marc-André ter Stegen said. “We hope that, with your help [Barcelona fans], we can win every title possible.”
It’s abundantly clear Barcelona are aiming for another large trophy-haul in 2025–26. It may seem far-fetched, but it’s difficult to argue this is an even better team than the one that won every trophy in Spain a season ago.
The La Liga title race will surely see Real Madrid and Barcelona once again be the main protagonists, with Atlético Madrid not far behind. Los Blancos have undeniably gotten better thanks to their summer signings and the arrival of Alonso to the touchline, a manager that has proven to be an excellent league manager during his time in Germany.
Flick’s side, must be considered the favorite in La Liga thanks to their quality and last season’s results. However, with the Barça’s main focus being the Champions League, rotations late in the season should be expected, giving Real Madrid a strong chance to dethrone them for the La Liga crown.
The Champions League is entirely a different story. Barcelona’s depth could be a difference-maker this season, the same depth they didn’t have last year. Bardghji and Rashford will allow Flick to rotate his attacking stars even more to ensure they’re fresh come the season’s climax.
The long season might throw its unexpected hurdles and, in Europe, luck more often than not comes into play. Regardless of that, it’s plausible to say that Barcelona are the best team on the planet heading into 2025–26 and conquering the elusive sixth Champions League title seems like a very real possibility.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona 2025–26 Season Preview: Los Blaugranas Take Aim at Champions League Drought.
