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FC Barcelona are among the few clubs in Europe who have consistently churned out world-class talents from their academy. At any given moment, the club has at least one fascinating and capable individual in the squad that graduated from their academy.
It is not everyone's cup of tea to excel at the La Masia academy and nail a starting spot in the senior squad in their breakthrough season. But for some capable individuals this daunting has been a piece of cake.
Some immensely talented players at FC Barcelona got off the mark in their teenage years
Many great players have represented the Spanish giants since the club came into existence. But only a few could produce moments of magic that etched their names into history books. Football is a game where goals decide the outcome, and hence it's the goals that become particularly memorable.
So today we search through the rich history of the Catalans and find out who are the five youngest goalscorers in their history. Here we go!
#5 Alfonso Navarro - 17 years 8 months 0 days
Ansu Fati was touted to become the youngest goalscorer in the history of El Clasico when he scored in the encounter in October 2020. However, the speculation was soon cleared, and the official record holder was revealed.
Alfonso Navarro, who represented Barcelona way back in the late 1940s, scored against Los Blancos in his teenage years and created this record which is still unbeaten.
He was a winger by trait and was versatile enough to play on both the flanks. Navarro represented the Catalans from 1946 to 1950, but Santiago Bernabeu persuaded him to join Real Madrid. Bernabeu is best known for his 35-year spell as Los Blancos president, and the club's stadium is named after him.
Navarro left Madrid after a brief one-year spell. He eventually returned to Barcelona in 1954 and left the club again in 1956. He is the fifth-youngest goalscorer in the Spanish club's history, courtesy of his goal against Sporting Gijon in 1946.
#4 Francesc Calvet - 17 years 6 months 9 days
Francesc Calvet enjoyed a pretty long career that started in 1939 and ended in 1957 when he retired for good. It also included a brief career break in the 1950s. For the majority of that period, he was a loyal Barcelona defender. Calvet scored his first goal in 1940 in a Spanish top-flight game against Hercules FC, who currently play in the fourth tier of Spanish football.
The defender made over 150 appearances for the Catalan club before joining Real Oviedo in 1952. He also managed two caps for the Spanish national side in 1950. Calvet initially started as an inside forward, but his versatile nature made him a midfielder. Eventually, he settled down in the fullback role and cemented his spot in the team.
Calvet was part of the legendary Barcelona squad that won 5 trophies in the 1951/52 campaign.
#3 Pablo Gavi - 17 years 4 months 13 days
There are players people look at and say, "This one is for the future". But Barcelona's Gavi has become their present and is definitely going to be part of their future if they can keep those pursuing his signature at arm's length. He is yet to turn 18 and has already managed 4 senior Spanish caps.
The midfielder has made 28 appearances for Barcelona and has scored two goals so far. His first goal for the club came in a 3-2 win against Elche in La Liga in December 2021. Gavi, as he so often has been doing, ran the show in midfield and even registered an assist on the night.
The Spanish international is combative and highly competitive, and covers every inch of the pitch thanks to his huge reserves of stamina. He is technically astute and his close control with the ball has been great as well. Gavi is always looking to carry the ball forward and give Barcelona an attacking edge.
Luis Enrique handed him his debut in October last year in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals against Italy. The midfielder became the youngest player to ever represent Spain. It's scary to think what his actual ceiling could be.
#2 Bojan Krkic - 17 years 1 month 22 days
It is a total shame that Bojan Krkic never reached the heights that were estimated for him when he earned his breakthrough at Barcelona. He joined the Spanish giants at the age of 9, and by the time of his senior debut, had reportedly scored nearly 900 goals.
On his La Liga debut in 2007, the striker broke Lionel Messi's record and became the youngest player to play for Barcelona in the Spanish top-flight. Krkic had everything going for him. He was silky, skillful and glided across the ground thanks to his wonderful balance. Add to the mix his predatory goalscoring instincts and it makes up for a formidable combination.
Krkic was touted for greatness, but the responsibility to live up to all those rising expectations proved too much for him in his teenage years and he succumbed. He was called up to the Spain squad, but withdrew his name citing a panic attack as the reason. He later got the opportunity to join the squad at Euro 2008, but pulled out again.
In his first La Liga campaign as a 17-year old, the Dutchman scored 10 goals and three assists in 31 appearances. Krkic also became the first player born in the 1990s to score in the UEFA Champions League when he became the winner over Schalke in 2008.
Since then, it all went downhill. Despite moving to clubs of lesser stature like Stoke City, FSV Mainz and Montreal, the player never got back to his best. He currently plays alongside Andres Iniesta at Vissel Kobe in Japan.
#1 Ansu Fati - 16 years 10 months 0 days
Ansu Fati got most Barcelona fans praying for him as he suffered severe injuries early in his career. All of only 19-years old, the striker has inherited Lionel Messi's No.10 jersey at the Spanish club. Whenever he has taken to the pitch, Fati has shown that he is a determined footballer that can handle the weight of expectations.
The Spaniard became the youngest goalscorer in Barcelona history by scoring against Osasuna in 2019. But he did not stop there. His strike against Inter Milan in the Champions League in 2019 saw him become the youngest scorer in the tournament's history.
But the Catalans are now worried about Fati's resistance to injuries. A knee injury ruled him out for the majority of the 2020-21 campaign, and the player is spending his time on the sidelines these days as well. The striker last played in early November before nursing a hamstring injury.
The 19-year old is exceptionally versatile and can play in any attacking position. He has a knack for goals and is naturally drawn towards testing the goalkeeper rather than creating chances for his fellow teammates. This is not to dismiss his ability to link up play in the final third, but he's less of a playmaker and more of a goalscorer.
Fati has managed 18 goals and six assists in his 53 appearances thus far. If it wasn't for the lack of playing time due to his injuries, he could have racked up more impressive numbers with momentum on his side.
