Eric Garcia names three Barcelona stars he believes should be on Ballon d’Or podium | OneFootball

Despite their financial problems, FC Barcelona continue to enjoy a lot of success on the pitch. Last season, they were able to successfully defend their La Liga and Spanish Super Cup titles, but missed out on the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. Furthermore, several of their players also played in the World Cup, and eight of them ended up winning the competition with Spain.

As a result, it is very likely that this year will finally see the Ballon d’Or return to the Blaugrana club. The winger Lamine Yamal appears to be the most likely candidate to win it, and several individuals associated with the club have already backed him to win it.

One such individual has been the center-back Eric Garcia. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the defender appeared in an interview with Que t’hi Jugues, and named Lamine Yamal as his favorite to win the award:

“For me, the podium should be all Barça players. Lamine should win. The fact that Pedri and Raphinha aren’t there is incredible.”

“Cubarsí, who is among the 30 nominees, Dani (Olmo) and Fermín should also be there, but I think Lamine should win.”

Garcia named two other Barcelona players to make the podium, even though they were not included in the 30-man shortlist for this award:

“Lamine, Pedri and Raphinha.”

The Spaniard opened up on how he made a place for himself in Hansi Flick’s plans:

“The first year, I didn’t play much, but he gave me confidence. On the day of the Benfica match (January 21, 2025), I came on, scored, then there were injuries, I came back into the team and he gave me incredible confidence.”

The defender also opened up about how he feels comfortable playing on the flank, and joked about playing even as a forward:

“I’ve always played as a centre-back, but I feel comfortable at right-back thanks to my loan spell at Girona. I like it… I told him [Flick] to play me as a forward one day.”

The Spaniard also opened up about his team’s objective of winning the UEFA Champions League:

“We have been close for the last two years, just missing out by fine margins. We have a complete, high-quality squad, and the Champions League should be an objective.”

Eric Garcia has gained in importance significantly in the last few months in Flick’s plans, and currently is a crucial part of the Barcelona team. His increased importance is showcased by him being named as one of the captains, and hopefully, this added responsibility will only push him to perform even better going forward.