Barcola's affinity for the number 29 stems from his younger days playing the video game FIFA, where he played with the character Alex Hunter in adventure mode. He has stated that he wanted to wear the number 29 when he became a professional player. The number 29 was previously the property of Mamadou Sarr at Lyon, but Barcola adopted it when he joined PSG in 2023. He will now wear the number 29 at Liverpool, where it has not been assigned since 2019, following the brief loan of Arthur Melo from Juventus.
Barcola is not the first French player to wear the number 29 at Liverpool, as goalkeeper Patrice Luzi wore it for his only Premier League match with the Reds in January 2004 against Chelsea. The winger will now look to make a significant impact at Anfield, following his move from PSG.