He’s only 20 years old, but he’s long been considered the new pearl of La Masia. Thiago Alcantara, son of Mazinho, came into the youth set-up in 2005 in the Cadet B team, and since then he’s made meteoric progress through the Barça ranks. Extremely technical and very ambitious, he was a cornerstone of the Cadet A and Junior A teams before getting into the B Team, where he coincided with Guardiola and Luis Enrique as coaches.

Every day he carries more weight in the first team

Thiago's first team debut was in 2007, in a Catalonian Cup match against Girona. Although he was a regular with the reserve team, two years later he made his debut in the league away to Mallorca. But it wasn’t until this season that Thiago became a regular at first team training sessions and participated in twelve league games, in which he scored two goals. At the same time he contributed to the best campaign in the history of the B team in the Second Division..

Unusual quality

So, the Ciutat Esportiva, the Miniestadi, and the Camp Nou have been able to enjoy Thiago’s magic. His football is very attractive (it’s common to see him play the ball with the outside of his foot or pass without looking). He’s accustomed to playing in the double pivot role and with the ball at his feet he’s elegant, accurate, and breaks down defences. Thanks to his great vision and daring attitude, he has made some incredible assists. He can also get into the area, shoot, and score goals.

Feelings after the European Championships

Over and above his performances for Barça, Thiago Alcantara has shone in the younger ranks of the Spanish international side. Especially brilliant was his performance in the last European Under-21 Championships. The midfielder was the leader of the team managed by Luis Milla, who won the Championship with the help of a brilliant Thiago goal from a free-kick in the Final.