FC Barcelona is a club that is primarily known for the technical brilliance of its players rather than their physical attributes. While different aspects are important for different athletes, having a good balance is essential. However, in the football of today, speed is arguably a trait that the very best in the world just need to have.
Many of the grandest talents of today are known to have explosive running capabilities. Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Jr are just a few of the most promising stars in the world that possess great levels of speed. In a recent podcast of ‘Barça Reservat’ de Catalunya Ràdio, as highlighted by SPORT, even the fastest players in Barcelona were revealed.
Using a GPS-based method, various aspects of the Barcelona players were assessed. Apart from top speeds, their fatigue and heart rates were also checked. However, in terms of raw running power, they highlighted the top five at Barcelona.
Frenchman comes fifth
The fifth fastest player in the current squad is Frenchman Jules Kounde. This particular inclusion seems to be a rather surprising one given his position and role. However, the 24-year-old has shown his impressive recovery speeds in games that would not be possible without the ability to run extremely fast.
Wingers galore
The third and fourth positions are the only ones occupied by Barcelona forwards. Ferran Torres and Raphinha hold the third and fourth spots respectively. Moreover, in terms of the frequency of sprints per game, it is the Brazilian winger who takes the cake.
Uruguayan warrior
Second place within the Barcelona squad goes to Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo. This may come as a surprise to those that are not regulars of watching Barça, but the 24-year-old South American is a menace to deal with for the opponents.
His great speed is just one of the many attributes that allow him to thrive both as a central defender and even a right-back.
The fastest man in Barcelona
Lastly, at the very top of the list, is Golden Boy nominee Alejandro Balde. The young La Masia fullback already tops this metric when it comes to Barcelona players. While he may just be 19 years of age, Balde possesses extraordinary raw speed.
Lurking across the left flank’s touchline hoping to find space, once Balde gets in his zone and starts running as he likes to, it is extremely difficult for opponents to stop him.
