The Anomaly of FC Barcelona’s Lack of Argentine Talent

It’s inexplicable that FC Barcelona doesn’t have any Argentine players in its squad, let alone any in the top 50. The Blaugranas lack representation in both the senior and Olympic Albiceleste teams.

While the club’s scouting department excels at talent detection, FC Barcelona has been inactive for too long, failing to act on recommendations.

During this FIFA international break, Argentina has called up over fifty players for both the senior team, which played friendlies in the United States, and the under-23 team, coached by Javier Mascherano, which trained in Mexico for the upcoming Paris Olympics. However, FC Barcelona had no representatives.

The only selectable Barcelona player is Pocho Román, who plays for Rafa Márquez’s reserve team, a notable but low-cost addition made in the winter transfer market of 2023.

While the club should aim to have the best players regardless of nationality, it’s noteworthy that Argentina, along with Brazil, is one of the biggest producers and exporters of talent. It’s abnormal for FC Barcelona not to have any top Argentine players in 2024.

Looking back, it’s baffling that Lionel Messi arrived at Barcelona without any compatriots in the squad after Javier Mascherano’s departure. The club’s attempts, albeit late and inadequate, to bring in Kun Agüero also failed. Guardiola had warned about the need to create an ecosystem for Messi, but the club didn’t heed the advice.

FC Barcelona’s management in the Argentine market, where talent should be scouted and secured before looking elsewhere, has been a series of errors due to inaction. This issue spans across various sporting directors, technical secretaries, general managers, and even presidents.

The fact that players like Lautaro Martínez, Giovani Lo Celso, Julián Álvarez, and others have slipped through the club’s grasp showcases these systemic failures. Despite having a top-notch scouting team, FC Barcelona must act on their recommendations to rebuild and regain prominence, especially in South America, where economic, sporting, and aspirational reasons often lead players to seek moves abroad. The focus should primarily be on the Argentine and Brazilian markets.