Mundo: World agrees—Barça produce best midfielders, France best centre-backs

According to Mundo Deportivo, a consensus has emerged in modern football: Barcelona produce world-class midfielders, and France produce top-class centre-backs.

The report notes that many European clubs can compete with Barcelona in terms of trophies and wins, sign the most sought-after stars, or boast an attractive playing style. Yet aside from clubs like Athletic Bilbao, which accepts its competitive ceiling, no other team in world football can rely on so many homegrown youth graduates while remaining genuine title contenders across all competitions.

Some critics claim Barcelona’s surge of La Masia graduates is a forced outcome of the club’s financial problems. While this factor has undeniably influenced the current situation, it in no way overshadows Barça’s ability to develop young talent and turn it into genuine on-pitch quality.

Digging deeper, Barcelona’s youth setup boasts an endless supply of talent in midfield. Their match against Mallorca served as perfect evidence: seven homegrown players started the game, offering a clear glimpse into the scale of Barça’s youth project.

With Pedri injured and Frenkie de Jong rested, Hansi Flick handed starts to Casadó, Dani Olmo and Fermín López in midfield. Marc Bernal and Tommy Marqués were introduced late on, helping the Blaugrana take control of the game. This group of five midfielders, each with distinct characteristics, operated like a well-oiled machine, dictating the tempo.

Dani Olmo was long seen as a promising talent at Barça but chose to gain experience away before returning to Camp Nou. Marc Bernal has been a key prospect in the club’s development plans. Fermín looked set to fade into obscurity until Xavi revived his career. Casadó nearly abandoned his Barça dream but ultimately seized his chance under Flick. Thomas Marcès, meanwhile, enjoyed an unforgettable day as he made his first-team debut.

While this may seem like a sudden boom in talent, taking a wider view reveals Barcelona’s academy has also produced Gavi, whose progress has been hampered by injury, and Dro Fernandez , who left to continue his development at Paris Saint-Germain.

Barça’s youth system is not only responsible for Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest talent in football history, but now also for the exceptional potential of Lamine Yamal. The Blaugrana’s identity is built around possession as the core of their tactical system, rather than just goalscoring – and this is no coincidence. It is this philosophy that allows Barcelona to continuously produce elite midfielders, an achievement that has been widely imitated but never replicated. It is a source of immense pride for the Blaugrana.

A consensus has long been established across world football: Barcelona produce elite midfielders, France produce elite centre-backs. This pattern is evident across Europe’s top clubs: William Saliba at Arsenal, Dayot Upamecano at Bayern Munich, Ibrahima Konaté at Liverpool, Wesley Fofana and Benoît Badiashile at Chelsea, Clément Lenglet at Atlético Madrid, young prospect Raphaël Varane at Manchester United, and even Pierre Kalulu at Juventus, who – like Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernández before him – has been converted into a full-back.

All these players are top French international centre-backs, sharing similar traits: explosive physicality, excellent covering ability, strong aerial dominance, and improving ball-playing skills. Their decision-making on the pitch remains an area for further growth – a common profile that defines French centre-backs.