Oscar Mingueza: Things to Know About the Barcelona Defender

Barcelona's famous La Masia academy had another graduate on display in the Champions League win over Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night as they handed a debut to 21-year-old defender Oscar Mingueza.

Mingueza started at centre-back as Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 victory, while Ronald Koeman's lack of defensive options means we may get used to seeing a lot more of the youngster.

Here's everything you need to know about Mingueza....

La Masia Graduate

Mingueza has represented Barcelona all the way through the academy system, from Under-7s all the way up to his Champions League debut with the first team.

He made his debut for Barcelona B back in 2016 in a friendly against Llagostera but didn't become a full-time member of the squad until the 2018/19 campaign.

In 2019/20, he featured 16 times for Barça B in the league and a further three times in the playoffs.

Style of Play

A tall, strong central defender, Mingueza oozes calm on the ball while playing out from the back - as you might expect for a Barça starlet. He is comfortable with both feet and happy to play the ball between the lines to start attacks.

While not blessed with pace, he uses his brain more in defensive situations to ensure he's in the right position to deal with the threat rather than trying to bail himself out.

Born & Raised in Catalonia

Just like club legend Gerard Pique, Mingueza is a born and raised Barcelona fan.

He was born in Santa Perpetua de Mogoda in Barcelona, just a 30-minute drive away from the Camp Nou.

At 21 years old, he has spent his entire life in Barcelona and looks set to continue with the club he grew up adoring.

Uncapped for Spain at Any Level

Despite his growing reputation within Barcelona, Mingueza has never been capped by Spain at any level.

In 2018 he was called up to a squad alongside Sergio Gomez and Ferran Torres and was most recently called up to the Spanish Under-19s squad earlier this year but he didn't get on the pitch.

At 21, if he makes it to international level it will be his first taste of football in a Spain shirt.

He's a European Champion With Barcelona

In 2018, Barcelona's Under-19s lifted the UEFA Youth League and guess who one of their centre-backs was.

Mingueza started the final and captained the side as they dominated against a strong Chelsea team including the likes of Reece James, Tariq Lamptey and Callum Hudson-Odoi in a 3-0 win.

His Contract Expires at the End of This Season

He probably couldn't have made his debut at a more perfect time, since his contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Mingueza signed a three-year deal in 2018 and while reports say the club retains a two-year option to extend the deal, that is yet to be activated and means he could be free to talk to other clubs about a potential move from January.