Barcelona won all three of Spain’s domestic titles in 2025 — and they’re looking good at about the halfway point this season. So, what are their goals for 2026?

Here, our Barca correspondents Pol Ballús and Laia Cervelló Herrero discuss what they should be aiming for, which players could have a breakthrough year and where Hansi Flick’s team needs to improve right now.

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What are Barcelona aiming for in 2026?

Laia: The Champions League is the one Barcelona want. Last season, they reached the semi-finals and fans started to believe another European treble was on the way. Since the trebles of 2008-09 and 2014-15 (under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, respectively) some supporters have almost expected the team to be reaching those heights.

Some of Flick’s squad might be too young to even remember the first of those, but you definitely get a sense that they have their sights set on European glory especially.

Barca’s most recent Champions League title was in 2015 (Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Away from the pitch, the big ask will be for Barca to finally bring themselves fully in line with La Liga’s salary rules. They really need to start operating normally in that regard, because their next big concern will be signing a centre-forward to replace Robert Lewandowski, as well as a left-sided centre-back, and stopgap solutions should be avoided.

Pol: Winning titles, and obviously what the fans want is the Champions League. The important thing, what sets the tone and in a way tells you how strong or weak you are, is La Liga. You play there every week and that’s where you see if you’re in good shape or not.

But there’s still an unresolved trauma associated with the Champions League, and what really excites supporters is the idea of returning to that summit, without leaving the league and Copa del Rey behind, of course.

Can they achieve it? 

Pol: If you were to ask the Barca squad right now, they’d of course say it’s achievable. But after this first half of the Spanish season, it’s clear to me that Barca haven’t been one of the best four teams in Europe so far this term.

Within the squad, there’s a feeling that there’s still a long way to go, and that there’s also room for other teams’ form to dip. It’s true that Barca have been improving but, objectively, I find it difficult to see Barca winning the Champions League right now, looking at their squad.

I love Gerard Martin, he’s a guy I’d have in the Barça squad, but when you stop and think about it, he and Pau Cubarsi are the two starting centre-backs and I don’t see that changing any time soon. I think it will be difficult to compete with that pair at the back, and with the lack of defensive depth Barca have, go full throttle against the best teams in the world.