Official: Barcelona secure 16-year-old La Masia talent’s future with new contract

FC Barcelona have officially announced that teenage prodigy Ismael Ziani has signed a new contract to continue in the club’s youth ranks.

“Player Ismael Ziani has signed his continuation with the Club in his youth stage,” the statement from Barça read.

“Thanks, Ziani-López family, for trusting La Masia for your son’s training as a player and a person.”

The left-footed centre-forward, a product of La Masia, is considered one of the academy’s most promising attacking talents.

✍️ El jugador 𝗜𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗭𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗶 ha signat la continuïtat al Club en la seva etapa juvenil

👏🏼 Gràcies, família Ziani-López, per confiar en #LaMasia per a la formació del vostre fill com a jugador i persona#FCBMasia 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/O0bLn9KE9F

— FC Barcelona – Masia (@FCBmasia) December 18, 2025

Born in Granollers, to a Moroccan father and Spanish mother, Ziani has been at La Masia since a young age and is held in high regard at the club, where he is currently a part of the Juvenil B (U-18) setup.

At the same time, Ziani is also the subject of an international tug-of-war between Morocco and Spain.

He has already represented Morocco at the U-16 and U-17 levels, but the Spanish Football Federation is also closely monitoring his progress with an eye on the future.

Injuries have limited the 16-year-old forward’s continuity and exposure so far. Despite this, Barcelona have great confidence in his potential, which is why they have secured his continuity at the club.