Lamine Yamal targets Champions League glory as Barcelona’s main ambition

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal says winning the Champions League is his main objective this season as the club prepares to begin its European campaign against Feyenoord at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old also said he was proud to have been chosen as one of Barcelona’s vice-captains, despite his relative lack of experience compared with the senior players who traditionally make up the club’s leadership group.

“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,” Yamal told a news conference.

Manager Hansi Flick confirmed on Saturday that Yamal had been elected by his team-mates as one of three vice-captains, alongside Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong. The German coach selected Raphinha and Pedri to complete the five-man captaincy group.

Yamal’s inclusion was unexpected because captains are traditionally chosen from among the more experienced members of a squad. He is fifth in line to wear the armband, but his selection places him in a senior leadership role at an unusually young age.

The youngest Barcelona player to captain the club remains Bojan Krkic, who did so in 2010 at 20 years and 56 days.

“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,” Yamal said.

Barcelona’s desire to succeed in Europe comes after consecutive Champions League exits. The Catalan club failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the four matches that led to those eliminations, prompting questions over whether Flick’s aggressive approach needs to be adjusted for the demands of the competition.

Flick said Barcelona would remain committed to their footballing identity while making any changes required by particular opponents.

“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 Barcelona manager added that his squad would need every player to be fit and performing at the right time if they are to deal with the challenge posed by Atletico Madrid. Atletico defeated Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in last season’s quarter-finals.

Barcelona are seeking to end an 11-year wait for another Champions League title. They came close in 2025, but their campaign ended painfully when they were beaten by Inter Milan in the semi-final after extra time.

Their latest European challenge starts at home against Feyenoord, with Yamal making clear that lifting the trophy is the target that motivates him most.