Barcelona's 25-Man Champions League Squad: Abdelkarim and Bisiu Included
Barcelona have locked in their 25-man squad for the Champions League league phase, and this time every name on the list carries a first-team contract.
The club have opted for a tight, senior-heavy group on List A, with "Mundo Deportivo" reporting that Egyptian defender Hamza Abdelkarim and Belgian youngster Jesse Bisiu both make the cut. They step into Europe as full first-team registrations, a significant elevation from their usual status in domestic competition.
Abdelkarim and Bisiu step up
In La Liga, Abdelkarim and Bisiu are still formally tied to the reserve team. Their shirt numbers there — 29 for Abdelkarim and 27 for Bisiu — will follow them into the Champions League. The numbers stay the same. Their role does not.
To include them in Europe, Barcelona had to move them onto List A. Neither player qualified for List B, which is reserved for club-trained youngsters who have spent at least two consecutive years in the academy, or three consecutive years with only a short loan spell at another club under the same federation. Abdelkarim and Bisiu fall outside those strict parameters, so the club burned two first-team slots to bring them along.
It is a clear statement: they are not just training-ground bodies. They are part of the European plan.
Bardghji heartbreak
One name is missing, and for painful reasons. Swedish forward Roony Bardghji has been left out after suffering a serious knee injury that will keep him out for the entire season.
His absence underlines how brutal timing can be. Bardghji had already found minutes hard to come by last season, squeezed by the rise of Lamine Yamal in his preferred role. Now, just as another campaign begins and the Champions League returns, his year is effectively over before it starts.
Barcelona have not tried to mask that blow with a like-for-like replacement from the academy lists. They go into Europe knowing that one of their brightest attacking prospects will be watching from the stands.
Fariñas walks the line between lists
While Abdelkarim and Bisiu cross the line into full first-team territory for Europe, Brian Fariñas occupies a more nuanced space.
The midfielder has been named on List B, Barcelona’s academy list for the Champions League. That list can be updated up to 24 hours before each match, giving the club flexibility to manage their young talent as the campaign unfolds.
Fariñas will wear number 28 in Europe, joining the rest of the academy players registered under List B. The twist? In La Liga, he already carries the number 4 with the first team. Domestic football treats him as a senior squad member. UEFA’s regulations do not — at least not yet.
It is a neat snapshot of where Barcelona are as a club: leaning on youth, navigating tight registration rules, and making hard calls on who travels to Europe as a full first-teamer and who waits on the fringes, ready for a chance that might arrive with one injury, one suspension, or one bold decision on a Champions League night.
