Barcelona's La Masia entrance
Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images
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.
Joan Laporta, FC Barcelona president
Joan Laporta, FC Barcelona president