Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal revealed on Tuesday that winning the UEFA Champions League is his biggest motivation for the new season, while admitting he is proud to have been named among the club’s captains at just 19 years of age.

On Saturday, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick confirmed that Yamal had been selected by his teammates as one of three vice-captains, alongside Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong. Flick also appointed Raphinha and Pedri to the leadership group.

“There’s no greater motivation than the Champions League, which is the one trophy I still have to win. We will give our all to win it. Good players have arrived, like Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Rodri,” Yamal told reporters at a press conference.

The captaincy decision came as a surprise given Yamal’s age. Traditionally, Barcelona’s captaincy group is made up of the team’s most experienced players, but the teenager has already established himself as one of the club’s most influential figures.

Yamal is now fifth in line to wear the captain’s armband. The previous record for Barcelona’s youngest captain was held by Bojan Krkic, who was 20 years and 56 days old when he took on the role in 2010.

“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 will be hoping their young star can help them make a deeper run in Europe after suffering consecutive Champions League exits. The Catalan side failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the four matches that led to their eliminations, raising questions about whether Flick needs to adjust his attacking approach in the biggest European games.

“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,” Flick said.

The German coach also stressed the importance of having his squad fully fit and in top form when they face the toughest challenges of the campaign, particularly against Atletico Madrid, who defeated Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in last season’s quarter-finals.

Barcelona are targeting an end to their 11-year wait for Champions League glory. They came particularly close in 2025, only to suffer a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Inter Milan after extra time.

Their latest European campaign begins on Wednesday when Barcelona host Feyenoord at Camp Nou, with Yamal and his teammates looking to make an early statement in their pursuit of the coveted trophy.

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League brings together Europe’s leading clubs to compete for the continent’s most prestigious club trophy. The 2026/27 Champions League retains the league-phase format introduced last season, with 36 teams competing before the top 24 advance to the knockout stages.