Barcelona End-of-Season Player Ratings: Joan Garcia’s 9/10 tops the goalkeeper and defensive grades

Barcelona’s 2025/26 season might be remembered for lots of issues: one other La Liga title, one other reminder of the sort of generational expertise they’ve at their disposal and one other 12 months the place Flick’s facet punched above their weight.

However behind all of the noise, the targets and the attacking theatre, there was a quiet story being written each week. The story of a defence that have been by no means allowed to breathe and had virtually no margin of error.

Barcelona completed the league marketing campaign as champions with 94 factors, profitable 31 of their 38 matches, scoring 95 targets and conceding 36. It was a dominant season by all metrics however not with out its imperfections.

Actual Madrid conceded one purpose fewer within the league however Barça’s story was totally different. They performed a extra explosive, extra vertical model of soccer and have been prepared to go away house behind in trade for management greater up the pitch.

That’s the context with which every goalkeeper and defender who donned the Blaugrana this season have to be judged. This was a backline requested to push up, defend ahead, construct assaults, cowl transitions and survive whereas doing all that.

Typically, it labored superbly. Another instances, it appeared suicidal. In the long run, Barcelona walked away with back-to-back league titles, a Spanish Tremendous Cup and a quarter-final end within the Champions League.

Barça Common brings you the 2025/26 season scores for the Barcelona goalkeepers and defenders from the not too long ago concluded marketing campaign.

John Garcia: 9

Joan Garcia’s first season at Barcelona might hardly have carried extra stress. He arrived from Espanyol, crossing the dreaded Catalan divide after Barçaa triggered his €25 million launch clause.

He was made the first-choice goalkeeper at the price of membership captain, Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Another participant possibly have felt the load on their shoulders however not Joan.

He made 146 saves in La Liga in 2024/25, greater than every other goalkeeper within the division. What this meant was that he arrived at Barcelona with a repute. Joan Garcia got here in and instantly took possession of the goalposts.

Hansi Flick’s system positioned huge duty on him, sweeping behind a excessive defence, studying by balls early and infrequently being compelled into one-on-one conditions with the opposing attacker.

He additionally dealt with the transition from Espanyol to Barcelona with the calmness of a monk, largely unfazed by the strain that it introduced with it.

So far as first seasons go, that is pretty much as good as it will possibly get from Joan’s perspective and maybe, the icing on the cake was his seven-save masterclass on his return to the RCDE Stadium, the place he saved a clear sheet in opposition to Espanyol amid a hostile derby ambiance.

Wojciech Szczesny: 6.5

Szczesny’s season existed the shadow of Joan Garcia and he was very pleased with being tasked with that function.

For the Polish veteran, his process was clear: be prepared, keep sharp, provide invaluable expertise and provides Barcelona a degree of calm each time known as up. Not essentially essentially the most glamorous function however at this stage of his profession, The Pole was more than pleased to take the again seat.

There have been moments the place his presence turned necessary, particularly after Garcia’s damage interruption earlier within the marketing campaign.

His performances weren’t flawless and there have been moments the place questions have been raised if Barça needs to be taking a look at a unique backup goalkeeper going ahead however for the small pattern measurement that he performed, it’s truthful to say that he did his job each on and off the pitch.

Pau Cubarsi: 8

Cubarsi continues to defy logic and make the extraordinary look routine. He’s nonetheless so younger and but already so aware of the group, and the extent at which he performs at is kind of inexplicable.

Centre-backs are usually not speculated to look this composed at his age. They don’t seem to be speculated to obtain the ball underneath stress and cross as if the pitch has slowed down for them. They don’t seem to be speculated to defend open house with the calmness of a veteran.

However, Cubarsi does. By the point the season got here to a detailed, he had emerged because the chief of Barcelona’s backline and appeared unfazed by it.

There have been tough nights, after all. For the primary few months, {the teenager} gave the impression to be struggling with out the presence of an skilled companion like Inigo Martinez however in true champion vogue, he rode the wave and obtained over to the smoother facet.

He is not only Barcelona’s future but additionally their current and in some ways, this season might go down because the coming-of-age of Pau Cubarsi.

Eric Garcia: 8.5

Few Barcelona gamers have modified followers’ opinion on them as dramatically as Eric Garcia has, within the final 18 months. For a really very long time, it felt like his Barça profession can be outlined by his limitations. Too small. Too uncovered. Too susceptible in duels.

There was multiple event when he appeared to have one foot out of the door on the Catalan membership. This season firmly shifted the body.

Eric turned one in all Flick’s most helpful defenders as a result of he understood soccer shortly. He learn hazard early, circulated the ball cleanly, tailored throughout roles, and gave Barcelona the sort of tactical flexibility coaches worth greater than followers generally discover.

In a group that defended with danger, Eric’s intelligence mattered. He isn’t the quickest defender, nor essentially the most imposing, however he was arguably essentially the most strong. He knew when to step up, when to carry, when to cross by stress and when to maintain it easy.

The facet that made it much more particular is that he did it enjoying in 4 totally different positions by the course of the marketing campaign: centre-back, right-back, defensive midfield and left-back.

Barcelona made an announcement once they handed Eric a contract extension till 2031. This was his most convincing season in Blaugrana and he additionally acquired a a lot deserved call-up to the Spain squad for the primary time since 2022. The longer term appears to be like shiny for Eric in Flick’s group.

Jules Kounde: 6

Kounde’s season was underwhelming, each in isolation and by the lofty requirements that he has set for himself along with his performances in Flick’s first season on the membership.

Proper from the onset, one thing appeared off with the Frenchman and he didn’t recapture his mojo up till the very finish.

He nonetheless remained one in all Barcelona’s most necessary structural gamers when match however the performances left loads to be desired. Regardless of the odd flashes of brilliance, he appeared stretched, fatigued, leggy and like a automotive operating very near empty.

The silver lining is that even in an detached season, Kounde remained very important and the membership providing him a contract extension till 2030 solely underlines the actual fact additional.

Hypothesis stays rife about his future but when he was to stay at Barcelona, the Frenchman must pull his socks and step up going ahead.

Alejandro Balde: 6

Balde’s season, in some ways, mirrored that of Kounde’s. He was helpful, energetic and at instances electrical however nonetheless not totally full.

The most important stress surrounding the Spaniard is that he doesn’t look a lot improved from the model of him that broke by into the group as an adolescent and displaced Jordi Alba within the beginning XI.

Someplace, the event appears to have stunted, or at the very least, has not progressed on the ranges Barcelona anticipate.

His talents are apparent. He provides the group width, restoration tempo and the power to show a static sequence into an assault along with his ball-carrying and dribbling. All this with out finish product quantity to little or no, sadly.

Choice-making, ultimate motion and defensive focus stay features of the sport that Balde is at the moment missing in.

Balde’s worth to Barcelona is obvious, particularly in a system the place full-backs should stretch the opposition and recuperate shortly into defensive form. He is among the few gamers who can bomb up and down with out getting drained.

His ceiling and the concept of the participant he can change into feels louder than his present model in the intervening time and subsequent season can be essential for him to take his profession to the subsequent degree.

Gerard Martin: 7.5

Gerard Martin’s marketing campaign was constructed on usefulness. Each profitable squad wants gamers who take up minutes, survive rotation, and provides the coach tactical choices with out demanding the highlight. Martin turned a kind of gamers for Flick.

He was not all the time polished. There have been video games when his limitations have been seen, particularly when opponents compelled him into one-on-one races on the transition. To his credit score although, he saved bettering repeatedly.

There generally is a temptation to magnify Martin’s season into one thing it was not, particularly due to how a lot he has improved. He was not one in all Barcelona’s elite performers. He was not a transformative determine.

However, he was strong. He did the job in a dicey place for the membership and Flick remodeling him right into a centre-back appeared to have introduced a brand new degree to his sport. He’ll proceed to be an necessary a part of the furnishings going ahead.

Ronald Araujo: 6.5

Ronald Araujo’s season was difficult. One second of insanity at Stamford Bridge is what would outline his season for many followers however he had his moments.

At his finest, he provides Barcelona velocity, physicality and restoration defending of a sure form that isn’t prevalent within the squad. He stays one of many few defenders in world soccer who can flip panic right into a bodily duel and make the duel really feel beneficial.

However, 2025/26 was not his cleanest model. The hierarchy round him saved shifting. He took a sabbatical mid-season after what transpired at Chelsea. This doesn’t imply his season was poor. However, it did ask some very onerous questions.

In Flick’s high-line, Araujo’s athleticism ought to, in concept, be priceless. However defending on this system is just not solely about velocity. It’s about timing, spacing, passing angles, and restraint.

Araujo’s purpose risk helped. His presence mattered. There isn’t any assure that he’ll keep but when he does, he must construct on the positives this season and transfer to the subsequent degree.

Joao Cancelo: 8

Joao Cancelo arrived at Barcelona in January on a six-month mortgage from Al-Hilal. There have been plenty of query marks about his signing however in a short time, he put them to mattress.

With the ball, he stays particular. He sees angles others can’t. He can invert, mix, swap play, carry possession into midfield, and provides Barcelona technical superiority in areas the place most full-backs merely recycle the ball.

However as all the time, with Cancelo, there may be all the time a trade-off. That mentioned, he appeared way more conscious defensively underneath Flick than he did underneath Xavi throughout his first mortgage spell.

In a Barcelona group already dedicated to danger, his profile can change into each a weapon and a fear. Primarily based on these six months although, Flick channelized it to perfection.

He gave Barça concepts and he’ll proceed to take action, even when at instances, it comes at the price of safety.

Andreas Christensen: 6

At any time when he performed, there was nonetheless the acquainted calm. The primary contact. The easy cross. The strong defensive acumen. However his affect on the season was restricted.

Availability has been a continuing subject for the Dane and regardless of all his talents, it quantities to nothing if he fails to remain match for a sustained interval. A squad contributor. No extra. No much less.