In Focus: Fati can grow into his role in Barca's iconic No10 shirt

Lionel Messi’s exit left many questions for Barcelona to answer — not least who would take his iconic No10 shirt.

The legendary Argentine held the squad number for the best part of 13 years, all while cementing himself as one of football's all-time greats.

Throw in all the other Barca legends to have worn the number at the Camp Nou before him and it is clear the successor would have big shoes to fill.

The man tasked with taking it on? Step forward Ansu Fati.

With Messi plying his trade at Paris Saint-Germain, we put Fati under the spotlight to assess whether the 18-year-old Spaniard can take on the mantle of being Barcelona’s new talisman. 

A scenario no one wanted

Preparing for a time without Messi was something the Barca hierarchy thought they would not have to worry about for a little while longer yet.

But such is the disastrous financial situation they find themselves in, the unthinkable happened and the superstar sailed off into the sunset. 

With the likes of Diego Maradona, Pep Guardiola, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho having all worn Barca's No10 jersey, the club will have long known that the recipient would be taking on a huge burden.

If it was up to Ronaldinho, there would be no one new taking the shirt. Speaking earlier this year, the Brazilian said he hoped the number would be retired when Messi's glorious run with the Catalan giants came to an end. 

He said: "When Messi retires, which I hope will be in a long time, he can leave the No10 there and nobody will touch it again."

But just as when the icons that came before Messi left the club, Barca must move on and allow a new legend to write himself into the history books.

Fati the next in line

On the surface, handing such a responsibility to a teenager seems a bold move.

What is more, Barca’s current predicament of having to offload several stars due to wage constraints makes that burden just that little bit bigger.

Yet there are several similarities between the current situation and when Messi was given the shirt in 2008.

At the time, club legend Ronaldinho was leaving and the team was in desperate need of a rebuild.

Rather than hand the shirt to an experienced head, club president Joan Laporta — who returned to the position earlier this summer — decided to pass the mantle to a 21-year-old Messi.

Having impressed after bursting onto the scene as a teenager, the La Masia graduate seemed to go up to another level after being handed the iconic number and having the team built around him.

Messi scored a stunning 38 goals and claimed 19 assists, proving instrumental in delivering Barca their second Champions League title as part of an iconic treble.

While it must be said that Fati is taking on the number three years younger than Messi did, there is history of such a move having a galvanising effect on an academy graduate.

Is Fati ready?

While still a relative junior, Fati has already been around the squad for two seasons and has already been tipped as the natural successor to Messi's throne. 

The pacy, skilful winger is considered one of world football’s most exciting young players.

And with four caps already under his belt before his 19th birthday, you know there is something special about the Spaniard.

He is also already a record breaker at club level, having become both Barca's youngest ever player and the youngest to score in an El Clasico clash with Real Madrid.

Last season was meant to be when Fati kicked on in a full campaign with the Blaugrana.

But a season-ending injury suffered in November 2020 knocked that progress back slightly.

Still, his record of 13 goals and five assists in 43 appearances for Barca is not one to be sniffed at for an 18-year-old — and he will be firmly in manager Ronald Koeman’s plans this season.

Only Messi (0.89) and Diego Costa (0.87) had a better goals-per-game ratio than Fati’s 0.83 in La Liga last season, providing a clear indicator of the kind of levels he could reach with a full campaign. 

Luis Enrique, who handed Fati his international debut, knows a thing or two about special players after managing Messi at Barca between 2014 and 2017.

Speaking last year, he said: "I have seen him [Fati] very well, he never ceases to amaze me. No one would think that he is an 18-year-old player.

"He interprets game situations very well, he knows how to play in relation to his team-mates, play in one or two touches, he has goals, defensive work.

"You have to take care of him and develop all his skills as a person and as a player. What I see on the field I like, I see many possibilities."

Fati has yet to feature since injuring his knee but returned to first-team training last month and will be determined to prove he is capable of the honour bestowed on him by the club.

Asking Fati to emulate Messi’s achievements is all but impossible, certainly in the short-term, but handing him the No10 could eventually prove to be a masterstroke.