Ansu Fati was supposed to be the next big thing. A La Masia product who liked to cut in from the wing, take on defenders and fire on goal with deadly precision, he was pretty much the closest player Barcelona had produced to Lionel Messi in years.
For 12 glorious months, Ansu looked ready to take up Messi’s mantle. He made his debut in September 2019, and tore up La Liga for almost a year. He broke countless records, scored at a better rate than early-career Messi, and, perhaps most importantly, played exciting football. This was the next Messi, the guy Barca could rely on for years to come.
Or so it seemed. Fati would soon descend into injury hell, never really recovering from a knee issue, and suffered a series of muscle problems as a result. Four years on from his debut, Fati could be on his way out — perhaps an ideal outcome for all parties.
But how did it all go so wrong? GOAL tracks Fati’s career, looking at how a player once tipped to be one of the world’s best now finds himself benched and seeking an exit from his boyhood club…
24 July, 2019: On the dotted line
Fati had been a crucial part of Barca’s youth sides for most of 2018-19, and the plan was to have the teenager play the next season for Barca B in the Spanish third tier, before being promoted to the first team the following campaign.
But once it became clear that Barca needed help up front — and that Fati had a long-term future at the club — he signed his first professional contract. So started a rapid rise to stardom…
25 August, 2019: Record-breaking debut
An injury crippled Barcelona needed reinforcements for the start of the 2019=20 season, and Fati was the most obvious answer among the academy ranks. With Luis Suarez and Messi both injured, the Blaugrana turned to the 16-year-old for valuable minutes off the bench.
Against Real Betis at Camp Nou, Fati entered the game in the 78th minute, and delivered a solid cameo as Barca ran out victorious courtesy of one of Antoine Griezmann’s few standout showings in Catalan colours. At 16 years and 298 days, Fati was the second-youngest debutant in the club’s history.
31 August, 2019: On the scoresheet
A week later against Osasuna, Fati got on the scoresheet for the first time. The winger ghosted across the box, and leaped into the air to guide a Carles Perez cross into the far corner. His neat finish wouldn’t be enough for Barca to win as they drew 2-2, but it did make him the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history.
14 September, 2019: A memorable first start
The youngster did enough over the following weeks to prove that he deserved a spot in the XI, and Fati was handed a start against Valencia, ousting a still-recovering Suarez as part of Barca’s front three.
It was a dream performance from the then-16-year-old. Within seven minutes, he had both scored and assisted, turning in a star showing as Barca battered their opponents 5-2. His assist, in particular, was a thing of beauty, the winger darting past two defenders on the left before cutting the ball back to a marauding Frenkie de Jong — a link-up between Barca’s two presumptive stars of the future.
10 December, 2019: Champions League record-breaker
Barca took an early lead against Inter in the Champions League in early December 2019. Romelu Lukaku, though, equalised on the brink of half-time, meaning the Blaugrana needed a big moment to secure a vital away win at San Siro.
Enter Fati. The teenager came off the bench to bag the winner, firing a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
It was a memorable strike, and one that made him the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history — a record he still holds.
3 September, 2020: International honours
Fast forward nine months, after Fati had embarked on the best debut campaign for Barca since Messi’s first season in 2005, and the winger took another step in his emerging career.
He had been on the periphery of the Spain squad for some time, and earned a maiden call-up from La Roja for their upcoming Nations League fixtures in August 2020. He would play 45 minutes against Germany in a 1-1 draw, overtaking former Barca wonderkid Bojan Krkic to become the second-youngest player to appear for the Spanish national team.
6 September, 2020: Spain record-breaker
Fati took another step just three days later, as Luis Enrique handed the 17-year-old his first international start against Ukraine. The teenager repaid his manager’s faith almost immediately as he scored one of the best goals of his career to date, cutting onto his stronger right foot and unleashing a curled effort into the bottom corner from outside the box for his first Spain goal.
24 October, 2020: Making Clasico history
The Clasico held in October 2020 wasn’t a memorable one for Barcelona. The Catalan club were handily beaten by a rampant Madrid side, with Los Blancos running out 3-1 winners at Camp Nou. Madrid took the lead early, carving through the Barca defence with almost embarrassing ease.
But Fati provided a response quickly. The winger snuck into the box and finished a well-timed cross from Jordi Alba to equalise — making him the second-youngest goalscorer in the match-up’s history. He almost assisted a second shortly after, but Thibaut Courtois made a fine save to deny Messi before Madrid ran out worthy winners.
7 November, 2020: Injury hell begins
The good times soon ended, though. On November 7, 2020, Fati’s left knee twisted awkwardly while his foot was planted during the Blaugrana’s win over Real Betis.
At first, Barca eased fears of a serious injury, but it became apparent a few days later that the winger had suffered a torn meniscus — the first of a handful of injuries that would see a promising career grind to a halt.
9 November, 2020: Going under the knife
This is where it gets complicated. There was, according to The Athletic, a disagreement as to how exactly Fati’s meniscus should be repaired. The winger had completely torn the ligament, and standard practice would be to replace it outright. However, the surgeon opted to suture the ligament — effectively stitching it back together.
Barca, however, rushed the player’s rehab, reportedly doubling Fati’s required physio sessions. His knee soon became inflamed, halting his recovery.
4 January, 2021: Another round of surgery
Two months later, the knee showed few signs of recovery, with the suture failing to help the ligament heal organically. So, Fati underwent another operation, described by the club as “regenerative biological treatment”. And although his rehab was more measured at the second time of asking, his knee still didn’t properly heal.
A more complicated option was on the table, one in which Fati could have his meniscus removed entirely. But due to fears of long-term issues, the player opted against the club’s recommendation.
March, 2021: Operation No.3
The knee pain persisted, and once Fati’s suture failed to heal properly for the second time, he opted to undergo a third surgery, effectively a repeat of the first two.
That proved equally ineffective, and the teenager continued to experience pain and swelling in his left knee. He subsequently ditched the doctor who had completed the first three surgeries, ruled himself out until the end of the 2020-21 season – including that summer’s European Championshio – and looked for other options.
May, 2021: A solution?
At the end of the 2021 season, Fati finally gave in to the advice of those around him. His meniscus had still hadn’t pieced itself back together correctly, and he had little choice but to have the broken strands of it removed altogether.
It was a fairly standard procedure, but one that seemed certain to cause long-term problems. Fati would have to take excellent care of the affected knee and surrounding muscles to avoid further injury. More importantly, though, the operation was his fourth in six months — an immensely risky prospect for anyone.
September 2021: Inheriting Messi’s shirt
Amid it all, Fati still had the backing of the club, and after the No.10 shirt was left vacant when Messi was forced to leave for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, Barca swiftly offered it to their young star — despite the fact that he hadn’t kicked a ball in nine months.
Fati gladly accepted, with the club justifying his inheritance in glowing terms: “Despite being just 18 years of age and still recovering from injury, Ansu Fati forms part of Barca’s history as a record-breaker and also with the Spanish national side.”
26 September, 2021: Back with a goal
And it turned out the kid can still play. Fati had to wait until late September to return to the pitch, but was immensely impactful when he did.
The 18-year-old stepped onto the field with 10 minutes remaining in Barca’s La Liga clash with Levante and found the back of the net in second-half stoppage-time, cutting inside a defender and firing a signature finish across the goalkeeper to round off a comfortable 3-0 win. There was a long way to go, but the No.10 shirt didn’t appear to be weighing him down.
20 October, 2021: New long-term deal
Barca further reaffirmed their trust in the player by offering Fati a massive contract extension, tying him down until 2027, and slapping a €1 billion (£846m/$1.16bn) release clause into the deal.
It came after a difficult negotiation period. Barca’s finances were a mess at the time, and the club weren’t clear if they could offer agreeable terms to both Fati and Pedri. Fati, at the time, reportedly had drawn the eyes of both Manchester clubs, but spurned their interest to stick around.
1 November, 2021: More injury pain
Fati’s spell of fitness was a brief one, though. The forward scored twice in six appearances before picking up another injury. This time, it was a significant muscle problem in his left thigh, the kind of issue doctors had feared when he had part of his meniscus removed a few months previously.
Fati missed two months, and 13 matches for club and country. His knee problems had momentarily ended, but the associated issues, it seemed, wouldn’t go away so easily.
12 January, 2022: Back with a Clasico strike
Once again, Fati showed just how good he can be when he next saw action. He seemed to recover effectively from his muscle issue, and was back on the pitch ahead of schedule when he came off the bench to appear in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid in January 2022.
The forward rose for a header just minutes after coming on, nodding Pedri’s cross past a sprawling Courtois to tie the contest up at 2-2 with 10 minutes remaining.
20 January, 2022: Short-lived joy
But he couldn’t stay fit for long. Fati reaggravated the same injury at the end of January, only managing 40 minutes after being introduced against Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey round of 16.
Barca recommended that the winger undergo surgery, but Fati refused, reluctant to endure another long recovery process. Instead, he opted for regular rehab, and spent three months on the sidelines.
He returned just in time for the end of the season, and played for more than only 30 minutes once in the Blaugrana’s final five games. Fati did get on the scoresheet, kickstarting a 2-1 win over Betis, but there was little time for him to fully recover.
8 August, 2022: Signs of life
Fati started the 2022-23 season fully fit. He enjoyed a solid pre-season, and even though Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha’s arrivals meant he would fall further down the pecking order, the then-19-year-old figured to have a real chance to impress.
And although he couldn’t get into the XI, Fati still made an impact off the bench in Barca’s second game of the season. He entered his side’s clash against Real Sociedad with the game tied 1-1 with 65 minutes played — and quickly went to work.
He assisted Ousmane Dembele with a delightful flick just seconds after being subbed on and set up Lewandowski shortly after, helping Barca take a 3-1 lead. And with 12 minutes remaining, Fati rounded it off with a goal of his own.
28 March, 2023: Beginning of the end?
Everything was going reasonably well for Fati in March 2023. Although he wasn’t a regular under Xavi, the winger had been given sporadic opportunities and was enjoying his best season since 2019.
Then, his father got involved. Bori, a former professional footballer himself, has never been shy about speaking his mind, and he showed no hesitation in airing a fair few grievances on Spanish radio. Bori claimed that Fati was not played enough by Xavi, and advocated for his son to leave the club. His father even insisted that Ansu should consider Real Madrid — if they indeed wanted him.
August, 2023: Exit rumours swirl as a new rival emerges
Barca have needed to raise money during the summer of 2023 in order to fund a crucial transfer window, and it has appeared that Fati is a player the club are willing to sacrifice amid reported interest from Arsenal and other top European clubs.
Xavi has done little to support the player himself, brushing aside questions about Fati’s future. But with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal – the new ‘new Messi’ – having usurped Ansu in the pecking order, it appears that Fati could be on his way out of Catalunya very soon.
