The Barcelona effect on Spain: The pros and cons of a club dominating the national side

Spain's women's national team is displaying exceptional cohesion at the Euros, attributed largely to the high number of players from Barcelona. This club connection creates a style of play unusually sophisticated for the international level, leading them to win all three group games, score 14 goals (the highest), and advance to a quarter-final against Switzerland.

The influence of Barcelona players is profound. In the 5-0 win against Portugal, five Barcelona players started: Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Vicky Lopez, Alexia Putellas, and Claudia Pina. This number could have been higher; Irene Paredes was suspended, Cata Coll had tonsillitis, and Aitana Bonmati started on the bench due to recovery from meningitis (she was replaced by another Barcelona player, Lopez). Two more Barcelona players, Salma Paralluelo and Jana Fernandez, came on as substitutes, making eight of the 16 players used in the match affiliated with Barcelona.

This pattern continued. Against Belgium (6-2), the starting lineup mirrored the Portugal game but included Paredes. Against Italy (3-1), six Barcelona players started despite changes. Leila Ouahabi, though now at Manchester City, spent most of her career at Barcelona. Eight of the eleven players used against Italy either currently play or have played for Barcelona, even though expected starting goalkeeper Coll hasn't yet played at the Euros.

The reliance on Barcelona players isn't new. In a previous 7-1 Nations League win over Portugal, coach Montse Tomé fielded a starting XI entirely composed of players who were either current or former Barcelona players. This included eight active Barcelona players plus former players Mariona Caldentey, Laia Aleixandri, and Leila Ouahabi.

Of the 23-player squad for Euro 2025, 10 are current Barcelona players (11 if counting Aleixandri, who just re-signed), and 13 players in total either currently play for or have played for Barcelona at some point.