The Blaugrana have rewarded young prospect and La Masia graduate Ansu Fati with the vacant number ‘10’ shirt. The number was previously donned by Lionel Messi for 17 seasons before the Argentine joined Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
A new era begins at Camp Nou, one without Messi front and center. After years of financial mismanagement, the Argentine attacker left teary-eyed this summer prevented him from renewing his contract with the club.
In the wake of his departure, Barca has decided to turn towards new prospects and superstars. Ansu Fati – a player who is currently on the threshold between those two categories – has been given the iconic number ‘10’ shirt donned by Messi.
Barcelona announced via their social channels that the 18-year-old will be the club’s next number 10, following in the footsteps of greats such as Messi himself, but also Ronaldinho and Rivaldo.
The Spain international is yet to make an appearance for the club this season; a long-term injury kept him out of action for nine months. Nonetheless, the next time he takes to the pitch, he will do so with the iconic number on his back.
Fati broke into the Barcelona first team in the 2019/20 season, aged just sixteen. He scored his first senior goal on August 31, 2019, at the age of 16 years and 304 days, and became the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history.
Two weeks later, he became the youngest player in the history of LaLiga to score and assist a goal in the same match. The records kept tumbling during his first few months as a Barcelona senior team member, as he soon became the youngest player to make a Champions League appearance for the Catalan club.
His first goal in the competition was also a milestone, as it made him the youngest scorer in the tournament’s history.
The teenager finished his first season with 31 appearances across all competitions and eight goals. He was on track to break his record in the subsequent season – scoring 5 in ten – before an injury sidelined him for most of it. He is due to return for Barcelona in the coming weeks.
