Four La Masia captains
Despite the changes, in the 2021/22 season, FC Barcelona will continue to have four captains that all graduated from La Masia…
Sergio Busquets becomes first team captain for the first time, taking over from Leo Messi, who has been the principal wearer of the armband since 2018. The most recent incumbents before the Argentinian were Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta. Busquets has been at the club since joining the youth ranks as a teenager and as captain of the Spanish national team already has experience of such responsibilities.
Gerard Piqué is thus promoted from third to second captain in his 14th season at the club. Having spent seven years in the Barça youth set-up, Piqué re-joined the club in 2008 after spending four years at Manchester United (including a loan spell at Real Zaragoza)..
It means that Sergi Roberto also moves up a level to third captain. Roberto has been at Barça ever since arriving from Gimnàstic Tarragona in his teens and made his first team debut in 2011. He became one of the captains after Javier Mascherano departed in 2018.
That means that the new member of the list of captains is Jordi Alba, who was also at La Masia from 1998 to 2005 before leaving for Cornellà and eventually making his professional debut with Valencia. He returned to the Barça in 2012, this time as a member of the first team squad.
