Fermin Lopez: FC Barcelona’s New No. 7 Takes on Historic Role

Fermin Lopez has stepped into one of FC Barcelona’s most storied shirts. The La Masia midfielder is the club’s new No. 7, inheriting the number vacated by Ferran Torres after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Torres, 26, joined PSG last week in a deal worth close to €50 million, signing a five-year contract that runs until 2031. His departure did not just open up a place in the squad. It opened up a number heavy with history and expectation.

For days, debate circled among Barcelona fans. Who would take on the 7? A flashy new signing? A winger in the classic mould? Instead, the answer comes from within. La Liga’s official website now lists Fermin with the No. 7, a clear statement from the club about where they see his role and responsibility.

He leaves behind the No. 16, the shirt he has worn over the past couple of seasons while quietly growing into a central figure in Hansi Flick’s side. Quietly in style, not in impact. On the pitch, he was anything but.

Last season, 2025/26, Fermin was one of the engines of Barcelona’s campaign. An attacking midfielder with bite and imagination, he played a key role as the team captured both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. Flick trusted him in big moments, and the 20-something repaid that faith with consistency and personality.

Then came the setback. An injury late in the season cost him a place on Spain’s flight to North America for the World Cup. For a player on the rise, it was a brutal twist. While his teammates chased glory on the international stage, Fermin was left to focus on recovery.

He has done exactly that. Fully fit again, he has impressed through pre-season, looking sharp, decisive, and ready to pick up where he left off. Now he will do it with a number on his back that carries echoes of some of the club’s most gifted forwards and playmakers.

The No. 7 at Barcelona is no ordinary shirt. In recent years it has belonged to Ferran Torres, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, and Philippe Coutinho. Go back further and the roll call deepens: Arda Turan, Pedro Rodriguez, David Villa. Before them, Luis Figo, Eusebio, and even Pep Guardiola wore it briefly. Each name adds another layer of weight to the fabric.

Fermin is not a marquee signing arriving to fanfare. He is a homegrown talent being told, in the clearest way possible, that he is now one of the faces of this project.

The number reshuffle at Barcelona does not stop with him. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Joan Garcia will take over the No. 1 shirt following Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s exit, a symbolic passing of the gloves in goal. Wojciech Szczesny, brought in to reinforce the position, has been handed No. 13.

More changes are coming. New arrivals Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon are still waiting to learn which numbers they will carry into their first season at the club. Those choices will say plenty about their expected roles.

For now, though, the spotlight falls on a La Masia graduate walking into a legendary shirt. Fermin Lopez is Barcelona’s new No. 7. The number is his. What he does with its history is next.