2026-27 season preview: Barcelona

What will success look like for Barcelona this season?

A domestic championship, a deeper Champions League run and some bombastic, cathartic victories over Atletico Madrid ... but to hear Flick tell it, none of that is going to be possible in the short term.

“It is an atypical and strange preseason," he said, making vague overtures in the direction of this summer's World Cup. "We have to respect the players’ holidays and this preseason is not normal. Until the international break we will have to manage it, until then we will not be 100%."

The international break Flick is referring to will come in late September, seven games into the Spanish domestic season and one game into the UCL league phase. That's not a terribly long time to wait, but it's far from ideal ... and it presents a perfect opportunity for hungry opponents to take Barcelona down before it reaches full fitness.

Which players have arrived?

Left winger Anthony Gordon arrived from Newcastle earlier this summer, and while that transfer seemed odd on paper — Gordon is a scrappy pit bull of a player whose style doesn't line up with Barcelona's icy cool — it could be a masterstroke. Gordon had a spectacular World Cup with England, and his signature brand of snarling grit kept the Three Lions competitive in tight matches.

Barcelona's other big acquisition is Karim Adeyemi, a German right winger who hails from Borussia Dortmund. He'll be behind Lamine Yamal in the pecking order, but he should serve as an excellent depth piece for the team.

Which players have departed?

Robert Lewandowski is the big one — the Polish striker moved to Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire this summer on a blockbuster Designated Player contract.

Beyond that, Barcelona sent winger Ansu Fati over to Monaco, center back Ronald Araujo to Liverpool and striker Marcus Rashford to Manchester United. It also loaned young American goalkeeper Diego Kochen out to Lyngby in the Danish Superliga. Keep an eye on Kochen: he's one of the USMNT's brightest young goalkeeping prospects, and he may break into the team in 2026.

Which players might come or go in the next few weeks?

Barcelona really, really wants to sign World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri. It's willing to pay around 55 million euros to get the deal done, but Manchester City is holding out for 70 million instead. Barcelona has yet to pull the trigger on that updated figure.

Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, really wants to sign Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres (a player you may remember scoring the winning goal in this summer's World Cup final). That deal is looking rosier by the minute and could be confirmed at any time.

Barcelona will kick off its 2026-27 season on Sunday, Aug. 23, against Elche.