Seventeen-Year-Old Orian Goren Makes History as First Israeli Named to Barcelona Squad for El Clasico
Seventeen-year-old Israeli midfielder Orian Goren has been officially named to Barcelona’s senior squad for Sunday’s high-profile El Clasico clash against Real Madrid in the tenth round of Spain’s La Liga. The milestone makes Goren the first Israeli player ever to be included in a matchday squad for one of the most prestigious and widely watched fixtures in global soccer.
Goren’s inclusion in the senior side was precipitated by an injury to Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo, who is expected to remain sidelined for several weeks. However, his selection also reflects the ongoing confidence shown by Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who has previously integrated the young prospect into first-team training sessions and given him valuable minutes during preseason fixtures, including the Joan Gamper Trophy match.
Spanish sports newspaper Marca highlighted Goren’s steady progression, noting that the midfielder participated in Friday and Saturday training sessions under the German coach’s direct supervision. The publication also praised Goren’s strong performances for Barça Atlètic, the club’s reserve team, where he has established himself as a consistent regular starter and a key presence in the center of the pitch.
Additional coverage in Catalan sports newspaper Sport examined how the young prospect successfully won over Flick, drawing widespread attention to his development within the club’s academy structure. Goren’s achievement evokes comparisons to Gai Assulin, a previous Israeli player who spent time in Barcelona’s senior setup and featured in Copa del Rey fixtures but never made a formal appearance in a La Liga match.
Alongside Goren, young player Alex Campos also received his first league call-up for the senior side, having previously been named to the squad for a match against Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona enters the fixture against Real Madrid managing a depleted roster due to injuries affecting several key players, including Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Roony Bardghji.
