Official: Barcelona breakthrough talent called up by Spain U-19; Bernal in U-21 squad | OneFootball

Xavi Espart became the latest La Masia prospect to make his first-team debut for FC Barcelona under Hansi Flick.

The 18-year-old right-back came on as a substitute in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie against Newcastle United and later went on to start against Sevilla in La Liga.

Following his first-team breakthrough, Espart has now been called up to the Spain U-19 national team by head coach Paco Gallardo.

The La Roja U-19s will be involved in the ‘Elite Round’ qualifying mini-tournament to secure a spot in the summer’s European Championships and will face Slovenia, Finland, and the Netherlands over the next couple of weeks.

And, Espart, who made his Spain U-19 debut last year and played three friendly games, will be in the squad for the upcoming matches.

Meanwhile, his teammate and fellow youth prodigy, Quim Junyent, is also named in the Spain U-19 squad.

Marc Bernal with Spain U-21

On the other hand, in-form midfielder Marc Bernal has been called up to the Spain U-21 squad by manager David Gordo.

Having fully recovered from his injury, the teenage midfielder has become a key part of the team in recent weeks, putting in top performances while also contributing with important goals.

So, there were talks of a potential call-up to the Spain senior team. However, that did not materialise, but he has been named in the U-21 squad.

Spain U-21 will be facing Cyprus and Kosovo in the European Championship qualifiers, with Bernal expected to play an important role.