Barcelona submit Champions League squad with two surprise A-list inclusions

Barcelona submit Champions League squad with two surprise A-list inclusions Barcelona’s Champions League squad registration has revealed an unusual situation involving two young players, with Hamza Abdelkarim and Jesse Bisiwu included on the club’s A-list despite remaining reserve-team players in LaLiga. The pair is eligible to represent Barcelona in the 2026-27 Champions League, but UEFA registration rules have forced the club to list them among the 25 first-team players rather than using the B-list route normally available to academy players. Meanwhile, Roony Bardghji is the notable omission. The Swedish winger will miss the entire season after Barcelona confirmed that a serious knee injury has ruled him out of action . Why Abdelkarim and Bisiwu are on the A-list Abdelkarim and Bisiwu will continue to play domestic football with Barça Atlètic, retaining shirt numbers 29 and 27 respectively.  Their European registration differs because neither currently meets UEFA’s criteria for B-list status. Barcelona squad for 2026/27 UEFA Champions League. (Picture credit: UEFA website) The regulations are designed to recognise players who have developed within a club’s youth system.  Simply put, a player must have spent two uninterrupted years in the academy or three consecutive years at the club, with a maximum one-year loan to another team within the same national association, to qualify. Neither Abdelkarim nor Bisiwu meets those conditions yet. As a result, Barcelona have had to register both as A-list players if they are to feature in the Champions League.  Barcelona squad for 2026/27 UEFA Champions League features Abdelkarim and Bisiwu. (Picture credit: UEFA website) Their inclusion therefore does not mean either player has been promoted permanently to the first-team squad for LaLiga purposes. Farinas gives Barcelona another registration option Brian Farinas has a different status. The midfielder is part of Barcelona’s home-grown contingent and can be registered on the B-list. Farinas already has first-team number 4 for LaLiga, but his Champions League shirt number will be 28. Like the other academy players, he can be added to the B-list and remain available for European fixtures. Hence, Abdelkarim and Bisiwu need places on the 25-man A-list because of their academy history, while Farinas qualifies for the more flexible B-list.