Lamine Yamal sets Champions League success as Barcelona’s main target

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal says winning the Champions League is his biggest motivation this season as the Catalan club begin their European campaign against Feyenoord at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old also said he was proud to have been named one of Barcelona’s vice-captains, despite traditionally experienced players occupying the leading roles within the squad.

“There’s no greater motivation than the Champions League, which is the one I still have to win. We will give our all to win it. Good players have arrived, like (Anthony) Gordon, (Karim) Adeyemi, Rodri,” Lamine told a press conference.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick confirmed on Saturday that Lamine was one of three vice-captains selected by his team-mates, alongside Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong. Flick chose Raphinha and Pedri for the other two positions in the club’s leadership group.

Lamine is fifth in line to wear the captain’s armband, making his selection an unexpected decision given his age. The Barcelona player to hold the record as the youngest captain was Bojan Krkic, who was 20 years and 56 days old when he took on the role in 2010.

“It’s something to be proud of at 19 years old. I’m very grateful to my teammates. It’s a position that comes with responsibilities, even if I’m only 19, but I’m very happy,” he said.

Barcelona have not won the Champions League for 11 years and came close to ending that wait in 2025. Their run ended in the semi-finals, however, when they were beaten by Inter Milan after extra time.

The club’s ambitions in Europe come under renewed scrutiny after consecutive Champions League exits. Barcelona failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the four matches that ultimately led to those eliminations, raising questions about whether Flick needs to modify his aggressive approach for the demands of the competition.

“We always adapt our style, for the opponent. Maybe not too much but when it is necessary. We have our style, it has been very successful over the last two seasons,” said Flick.

The German coach also stressed the importance of having his full squad fit and in peak form at the decisive stage of the tournament. Barcelona could again face a difficult challenge from Atletico Madrid, who defeated them 3-2 on aggregate in last season’s quarter-finals.

Before any potential meeting with Atletico, Barcelona must first negotiate a group campaign which begins at home to Feyenoord. Lamine believes the arrival of players including Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Rodri can strengthen the side’s attempt to compete for the trophy.

For Barcelona, Wednesday’s match represents the first step in another effort to reclaim their place among Europe’s leading clubs and finally bring their long wait for Champions League success to an end.