Fermin Lopez Inherits FC Barcelona's No. 7 Shirt
Fermin Lopez has stepped into one of FC Barcelona’s most storied shirts. The La Masia midfielder is the new No. 7, inheriting the number vacated by Ferran Torres after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Ferran’s departure to PSG last week, in a deal worth close to €50 million and a contract running until 2031, did more than open up space in the attack. It lit up debate among Barça fans. Who would dare take on a shirt that has carried so much weight and expectation?
La Liga’s official website has now given the answer. Fermin drops the No. 16 he has worn over the past couple of seasons and pulls on the No. 7, a clear signal of his rising status under Hansi Flick.
This is not a vanity upgrade. Fermin was a pillar of Flick’s setup in 2025/26, driving Barcelona’s midfield as they clinched both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. His energy, timing of runs, and knack for big moments turned him from academy hopeful into first-team reference point.
His season, though, ended with frustration. An injury late in the campaign ruled him out of Spain’s World Cup squad for the trip to North America, a brutal blow for a player peaking at exactly the wrong time. The setback did not linger. Fully recovered, he has impressed again in pre-season, looking sharp, hungry, and ready to carry even more responsibility — now with one of the club’s most symbolic numbers on his back.
History of the No. 7 Shirt
At Barcelona, No. 7 is never just ink and fabric. Recently it has belonged to Ferran Torres, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, and Philippe Coutinho. Go back a little further and you find Arda Turan, Pedro Rodriguez, and David Villa. Stretch the timeline again and the names become even heavier: Luis Figo, Eusebio, and even a brief spell with Pep Guardiola wearing it.
Fermin now walks into that lineage. For a La Masia graduate to claim it at this stage of his career underlines how firmly he has convinced the coaching staff he is central to the club’s present, not just its future.
The renumbering at Barça does not stop with him. Earlier this month, Joan Garcia was confirmed as the new No. 1 following Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s exit, a changing of the guard in goal. Wojciech Szczesny has been assigned the No. 13 shirt, reinforcing the reshaped hierarchy in the goalkeeping department.
More tweaks are coming. New signings Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon are still waiting to discover their squad numbers, decisions that will further define the structure and symbolism of Flick’s team.
For now, though, one statement is clear: Barcelona’s No. 7 belongs to Fermin Lopez. The question is no longer who gets the shirt, but how far he can run with it.
