Álvaro Cortés – Barcelona’s bright prospect who took the hard road
The defender debuted this week against Alaves.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 22: Alvaro Cortes of FC Barcelona looks on prior to the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou on March 22, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) | Getty Images Álvaro Cortés is the latest project for Hansi Flick to get excited about after the center back finally clocked first-team minutes at Mendizorroza . It has been a long five-year climb to the senior squad for the 21-year-old.
He wasn’t an overnight sensation like Pau Cubarsí. It took grit and consistent fight to get to this point. He’s the current Barça Atlètic captain and has a maturity that comes from a winding road through the youth ranks.
The club first spotted him in Aragón back in 2021. Former youth directors Jordi Roura and Aureli Altimira were sold on the kid after watching him play against Sabadell, where he already looked like a veteran despite being a youngster. Altimira was particularly struck by his composure, saying that “he already had the build and he also had the bearing of a fully formed player, something similar to what he has shown in his debut with the first team; he is a footballer who already seemed like a veteran.
” After a stint with Juvenil B, Barcelona decided a loan to CF Damm for the 2022-23 season was necessary to toughen him up. He worked there under former Argentina international Pablo Rotchen, who took it upon himself to transform the elegant ball-player into a more physical defensive presence. Rotchen admitted that leaving the Barça environment was tough on the youngster, but he believes the loan was the turning point.