Alejandro Balde's Standstill at Barcelona: From Rising Star to Forgotten Full-Back
Alejandro Balde is stuck. Not out of form, not in the treatment room. Just stuck.
The Barcelona full-back has not played a single minute for the club this season, frozen out of Hansi Flick’s plans while others surge ahead of him on the left flank.
According to Sport, Flick has made his choice. At left-back, he trusts Gerard Martín and João Cancelo. Balde, once seen as the future of the position, now finds himself marooned in an uncomfortable no-man’s land — fit, available, and unused.
From transfer list to touchline exile
The warning signs were already there in the summer.
After an injury-hit previous campaign, in which Balde missed 10 matches through physical problems, Barcelona were open to letting him go. The club put him on the market, testing interest in a player who, not long ago, had looked like a long-term pillar of the side.
Manchester United came knocking late in the window. The Premier League club showed serious interest, but talks between the two sides stalled over finances. No agreement, no transfer.
And Balde? He did not want to leave. With a contract running until 2028 and a release clause of one billion euros, he made it clear he had no intention of walking away from Barcelona.
So he stayed. But staying has not meant playing.
Flick’s verdict: not focused enough
The first big blow came on opening weekend.
For Barcelona’s La Liga debut against Elche, Flick did not just leave Balde out of the starting XI. He left him out of the squad entirely, judging him, according to the report, not sufficiently focused.
From that moment, the hierarchy at left-back has been unmistakable. Gerard Martín and João Cancelo are ahead of him. Balde has slipped well down the pecking order and has yet to pull on the shirt this season.
He is not alone in his wait, but his case is the most striking. Among outfield players who are not injured, only Balde and Bryan Fariñas have failed to feature. The two reserve goalkeepers, Ljubičić and Szczęsny, have also stayed on the sidelines, while Frenkie de Jong and Bardají are out with long-term injuries.
For a 22-year-old who recently looked like a nailed-on starter, that is a brutal comedown.
Deco backs the player – but lays down the challenge
Inside the club, the message is publicly calm, even as the situation grows more uncomfortable.
Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, addressed Balde’s status in an interview on RAC1. He refused to dramatise it.
“Nothing has happened, he is our player,” Deco said. “He is 22 years old, he has a big future, and a contract with the best club in the world. He has to compete to play.”
The support came with a reminder. Talent alone will not guarantee minutes.
Deco underlined what Balde had already shown at his peak. “Balde suffered injuries, but he was outstanding two years ago. If Balde is in good shape, it is difficult for him not to play with Barcelona.”
Right now, though, “in good shape” is not enough. Not in Flick’s current rotation.
A sharp contrast to last season
What makes this standstill so stark is how quickly things have changed.
Just a year ago, in the 2025–2026 season, Balde began the campaign as a regular. He started the first three La Liga matches and accumulated 222 minutes almost immediately, underlining his status as a first-choice option.
Across the entire season, Flick left him on the bench for the full 90 minutes on only five occasions.
This time around, with September still in its early stages, Balde has already matched that feeling of exclusion — and surpassed it. He has not just stayed on the bench; he has not stepped onto the pitch at all.
From promising starter to unused squad member in the space of a year. The numbers tell the story as clearly as any quote.
The question now is simple: does this silence on the pitch mark a temporary pause in Balde’s rise, or the start of a long, uneasy battle just to be seen again at Barcelona?
