Dream as a horse! Barca gave their first-team debutants a special number

Since the inception of the La Masia Academy in 1979, the outstanding players will be assigned numbers in turn to witness the moment when they realize their dreams

Every player who has gone through FC Barcelona's youth system has a common dream – to make their debut in the first team. From now on, the club will assign a number to each player who has made their debut in spanish domestic or international competitions in turn to witness the realization of this dream. The initiative, which will date back to the establishment of the La Masia Academy, serves as a base for clubs to provide accommodation facilities for athletes, and its unique training model and commitment to youth football have now become a global benchmark. As a result, since the 1979/80 season, every player who has played at any echelon level in the academy, whether living in La Masia for a long time or before entering the first team as a young player, will be given a number to their debut appearances.

After a series of investigations, the Centre for Archival Studies has compiled a list of cadets and young players who have played in at least one Spanish domestic or international match in the Barça first team (except for the Catalan Cup). If more than one player makes their debut in the same game, their number will be determined by the number of minutes they enter the pitch, and if they play at the same time, then they will be arranged in alphabetical order according to the names used on the back of the jersey.

Estella was barca's first player to appear on the roster since the 1979/80 season. In this way, every player from La Masia who has helped the club write its history over the past four decades is assigned a number. Among those worth mentioning are Lionel Messi (93), Javi Hernandez (70), Andrés Iniesta (85), Josep Guardiola (44), Carlos Puyol (75), Gerald Pique (119), Sergio Busquets (120) and Jordi Alba (143).

Not only that, but some of the latest players to join the list include Ansu Fati (178), Ronald Araujo (179), Mingissa (181), Nico Gonzalez (185), Garvey (186) and Estanis Pedroera (192).

The new "ceremony" witnesses the appearance of the players

FC Barcelona will hold a ceremony to witness the addition of new players, and every young player who makes his debut in the first team will receive a shirt with their debut number printed on it, and players already on the list will also receive such a shirt when they renew their contracts. As part of the "Made in La Masia" concept, the club also produced a video for this purpose, which was broadcast through different channels. While presenting the event, the club also aims to highlight the concept of "more than just talent" and at the same time raise awareness of the brand values that have been cultivated for 43 years to recognise players who have achieved their dreams and made their debut in the first team. La Masia is one of the cornerstones of the club's world-famous "More than just a club" slogan, which makes FC Barcelona unique and part of its core and unique identity.

A tribute to the historical local youth players

Barca created the list from the beginning of the 1979/80 season, following the inauguration of the La Masia Youth Academy accommodation facility. However, in the club's history, more players have spent time in the echelon before fulfilling their first-team debut dreams. Still, the list of echelon players who made their debuts before the late '70s has not been determined, as the archive center doesn't have much information about players from the 1910s, 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. This is why the 1979/80 season and the year in which La Masia was built were chosen as reference criteria for the roster.