Barcelona are set to name Raphinha as their first captain for the 2026-27 season, with the club said to be putting the finishing touches to the announcement. The Raphinha Barcelona captain call would make the 29-year-old the first Brazilian to lead the Blaugrana as senior skipper, and it comes after a summer that has stripped the club’s leadership group back to the studs.
Bruno Andrade of ESPN Brasil reported on Monday evening that Raphinha will be handed the armband and that “the official announcement will be made soon by Barcelona, who are still finalizing the last marketing materials for the statement”, per Barca Blaugranes. The club had not confirmed anything publicly at the time of writing.
Why the Raphinha Barcelona captain choice makes sense
The vacancy at the top was created in the space of a fortnight. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, last season’s first captain, has left for Ajax on loan, and second captain Ronald Araujo agreed a season-long loan at Liverpool that carries a €55m purchase option. Frenkie de Jong, third in the order last term, is still working his way back from injury and is expected to be sidelined for some time yet.
That left Raphinha, fourth in the pecking order in 2025-26, as the senior man standing. Barca Blaugranes note that the captaincy is usually settled by a dressing-room vote, which tells you plenty about how the Brazilian is regarded inside the building. He has been close to Hansi Flick since the German walked through the door, and on the pitch he functions as something like an extension of the manager — the man who sets the tempo for the press and refuses to let the intensity drop.
It would also be a reward at the right moment. Raphinha was in the Ballon d’Or conversation after a spectacular 2024-25, then spent last season fighting recurring hamstring trouble that followed him all the way to the World Cup with Brazil. He and the coaching staff have spent the summer chasing that level again. Having been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia earlier in the window, he now looks set to start the campaign wearing the armband instead.
Barcelona’s full captaincy order for 2026-27
Building on the ESPN Brasil report, French magazine Ballon d’Or has set out the full five-man group, as relayed by Barca Universal: Raphinha first, De Jong second, Pedri third, Gavi fourth and Eric Garcia fifth. Pedri climbs two places from last season; the final two names are new to the hierarchy, which is roughly what was being briefed last week.
Neither promotion is a shock. Gavi is a La Masia graduate who has become a byword for leaving everything on the pitch, while Eric Garcia captained Barca in his academy days before he left for Manchester City and has since worn the armband for the first team on occasion. Both are trusted by Flick, and with De Jong absent and Pedri only 23, Barca will lean on that group more than a title holder would like.
Confirmation is expected imminently. If it lands before Wednesday, Raphinha will lead the Blaugrana out at the Spotify Camp Nou for the Joan Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly with the armband already on his sleeve — a first for a Brazilian at this club, and a nice way to open the first full season back home.
