Fermín López Takes Barcelona's Iconic No. 7 Shirt

Fermín López 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 in a deal worth close to €50 million, on a five-year contract running until 2031, did more than open a space in the squad. It freed up a number that carries weight at Camp Nou. Debate among fans began almost immediately: who would dare take it on?

La Liga’s official website has now given the answer. Fermín drops the No. 16 he has worn in recent seasons and pulls on the No. 7, a clear sign of his rising status under Hansi Flick.

A promotion earned on the pitch

This is not a cosmetic change. Fermín was a driving force in Barcelona’s 2025/26 campaign, an integral piece in Flick’s system as the club claimed both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. The academy graduate brought energy, goals, and personality, playing with the kind of edge that tends to be rewarded at this club.

His season ended on a sour note. An injury late in the campaign cost him a place on Spain’s flight to North America for the World Cup. For a player on the cusp of a major international breakthrough, it was a brutal twist.

He has responded the only way elite players do: by coming back sharper. Fully recovered, Fermín has impressed in pre-season, looking physically strong and tactically assured. Now he goes into the new campaign not just as a key midfielder, but as the man carrying the No. 7 on his back.

A shirt with a history

At Barcelona, No. 7 is not just a number scribbled on a team sheet. Ferran Torres wore it last, but the line stretches back through Ousmane Dembélé, Antoine Griezmann, and Philippe Coutinho — big fees, big expectations, mixed legacies.

Go further and the roll call becomes even more evocative. Arda Turan, Pedro Rodríguez, David Villa. Before them, Luis Figo and Eusebio. Even Pep Guardiola briefly took the shirt in his playing days. Each era has left its own imprint on that jersey. Now it is Fermín’s turn to write his.

A wider reshuffle in goal and attack

The No. 7 switch comes amid a broader renumbering at Barcelona. Earlier this month, Joan García was confirmed as the club’s new No. 1 following Marc-André ter Stegen’s exit, a symbolic passing of the gloves in goal. Wojciech Szczęsny, another experienced figure between the posts, has been handed the No. 13 shirt.

The dressing room board is not finished changing yet. New signings Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon are still waiting to discover their numbers, with more tweaks expected in the coming days as Flick’s squad takes its final shape.

For now, one decision stands out. Fermín López, La Masia graduate and rising leader in midfield, will carry Barcelona’s No. 7 into the new season. The question is no longer who gets the shirt. It’s what he does with it.