Barcelona 13-7 Real Madrid

FC Barcelona is something of a rare bird among the world’s biggest clubs. With 13 homegrown players out of a 23-man squad, it remains the European powerhouse most committed to developing its own talent. On the opposite end, Real Madrid tops LaLiga’s charts for the second straight year with the highest number of foreign players: 18 of Xabi Alonso’s 25-man roster are from outside Spain.

It’s the youth academy versus the transfer market—that’s the simplest way to sum up the current divide among Europe’s elite. Barça continues to rely on La Masia and the rise of stars like Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, and Fermín López, while Real Madrid leads LaLiga in foreign talent, with 72% of its locker room filled by non-Spanish players.

The contrast is stark. At Barcelona, 13 of 23 players are Spanish (56.5%), making the Catalan club the most “local” among the world’s ten most valuable teams. At the Bernabéu, only seven Spaniards remain in a 25-man group—making Madrid the least “national” squad in the Spanish league.

Atlético Madrid sits just behind, with 16 foreigners in a 24-man roster (66.7%). Sevilla and Real Oviedo follow with 15 each, just under 60%. Villarreal, Girona, and Rayo Vallecano also feature more than a dozen international players.

At the other end are Athletic Club and Osasuna, long considered symbols of loyalty to Spanish talent, with only three and four foreign players respectively. Levante and Espanyol also rank among the most “local,” with seven international players each.

Looking across Europe, Madrid’s international-heavy squad still doesn’t reach Premier League levels. Tottenham leads the continent with 79.3% foreign players, followed by Liverpool (77.8%), then Manchester City and Manchester United (73.1%). Arsenal and Chelsea sit around 68%, while PSG (60.9%) and Bayern Munich (48.5%) are closer to Barcelona’s balance.

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The broader picture shows two opposing strategies: Barcelona, hampered by financial struggles, is leaning on La Masia as the foundation for its future. Madrid, meanwhile, boasts the most valuable squad in world soccer—worth roughly $1.65 billion—and continues to double down on a global approach with a locker room dominated by international stars.

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