Barcelona academy jewel makes history with debut for reserve team at 15 | OneFootball

Barcelona youth news continues to deliver excitement, and this week the spotlight belongs firmly to Ebrima Tunkara. 

According to Mundo Deportivo, the 15-year-old midfielder has taken another remarkable step in his rapid rise through FC Barcelona’s academy system.

At just 15 years, 11 months and 15 days old, Tunkara made his official debut for Barça Atletic during the postponed Group 3 Segunda RFEF fixture against Castellon B. 

That appearance places him among the youngest players ever to feature competitively for the reserve side.

A special moment

The moment came in the 81st minute, when Tunkara replaced Shane Kluivert with Barça Atletic trailing 2-1. 

The game eventually ended 2-2, and the teenager nearly wrote an even more dramatic script. 

In the final action of the match, he rose to meet a cross with a powerful header that struck the crossbar. 

The referee ruled the move offside by the finest of margins, denying him what would have been a sensational winner.

This was not his first exposure to the reserve environment. Back in January, he had already played 53 minutes in a friendly against Camp Joliu. 

Shortly afterwards, he formalised his commitment to Barcelona until 2029, a contract that becomes active when he turns 16 on March 10.

Who is Ebrima Tunkara?

Born in 2010, he joined La Masia during the 2018-19 season after his father, Abdul Tunkara, had settled in Spain following a move from Gambia. 

Unlike many young talents today, he spent much of his development without representation before eventually linking up with the agency of Pini Zahavi.

Physically dominant and technically gifted, Tunkara is naturally an interior midfielder but has also been used on the wing for tactical reasons. 

This season, he has already featured in four UEFA Youth League matches with Juvenil A.

On the international stage, he represents Spain at the Under-17 level, where he has scored five goals in ten appearances.