Barcelona’s latest academy step is a big one for Xavi Espart. According to Mundo Deportivo, the 19-year-old defender has been promoted to the club’s first team and will wear No. 12 in LaLiga.
That is a clear change from Barcelona’s league opener on Sunday, 23 August. Espart started at left-back against Elche wearing No. 36. The shirt switch now puts him among the first-team squad numbers.
Mundo Deportivo reports first-team move
Mundo Deportivo reported on 25 August that Espart has moved up permanently from the academy set-up to Barcelona’s first team. Get Spanish Football News also carried the report.
For now, the key point is straightforward: the promotion and No. 12 assignment have been reported. Barcelona’s plans beyond that are less settled, so it is worth keeping the confirmed update separate from what could follow.
No. 12 replaces No. 36
Espart wore No. 36 when he started at left-back in Barcelona’s LaLiga opener at Elche. That appearance came before the reported first-team shirt change.
The No. 12 is the number Mundo Deportivo says he will now use in LaLiga. Shirt numbers can look like a small detail, but this one matches the reported move into the senior group. It is a visible sign of where Espart stands in the squad at this point.
A first start at left-back
The research brief confirms that Espart started Barcelona’s opening league match at Elche on 23 August. He played at left-back, giving the report’s first-team update some immediate on-pitch context.
There is no need to read more into that one start than the available information allows. The brief does not set out his future role, expected minutes or Barcelona’s wider selection plans. What is clear is that he had already featured from the start before the reported squad-number update.
His current Barcelona contract
Espart is under contract with Barcelona until 2028, according to Mundo Deportivo. Barcelona had previously announced that agreement on their official website.
That existing deal matters because it means the reported promotion is not tied in the brief to an immediate new contract. He is already contracted to the club, and the reported development is his move into the first-team group.
Improved deal is only a reported intention
Mundo Deportivo says Barcelona intend to improve and extend Espart’s contract at a later stage. That is not the same as a completed extension.
No new end date, terms or timing are included in the verified brief. So the clean read is this: Espart’s current deal runs to 2028, while a better and longer agreement is being considered, according to the report.
What still needs confirmation
Barcelona’s reported first-team promotion and No. 12 shirt are the immediate news. But several details remain open, including when any contract discussions could happen and whether a new agreement will ultimately be signed.
The next verifiable moment will be Barcelona formally listing Espart in the senior squad or announcing any contract update. Until then, the reported promotion is the development to watch: the academy defender has moved a step closer to being a regular first-team name.