According to an update from MARCA, it has come to light that Barcelona are in a race against the clock to register five players before their La Liga 2025/26 opener against Mallorca. 

Given the situation, it goes without saying that manager Hansi Flick is still unsure which players he will have available for the La Liga opener, as registration issues remain unresolved.

Amidst all this, the top priority for the club right now is registering goalkeeper Joan Garcia. This is crucial because Marc-Andre ter Stegen is injured, and Wojciech Szczesny is also unregistered. 

If Garcia cannot be registered in time, Inaki Pena will have to start between the posts. Barcelona have already submitted Ter Stegen’s medical report to La Liga, and the club is hopeful the matter will be resolved this week so García can feature on matchday one.

However, the challenge does not stop with the goalkeeper, as several other players, including Marcus Rashford, Roony Bardghji and Gerard Martin, also need to be registered. 

The rules state that only one player can take Ter Stegen’s vacant spot, meaning Barcelona must find other solutions for the rest of the squad.

Then there’s Camp Nou

One possible solution lies in the approval of the VIP boxes at Spotify Camp Nou. The club is waiting for an auditor’s green light, which would then allow La Liga to approve them. 

This would enable Barcelona to return to the 1:1 spending rule, giving them more flexibility to register players. Whether this process can be completed before the Mallorca match is still uncertain.

Barcelona are also racing to complete renovations at Camp Nou in time for the team’s planned return on September 14 against Valencia. 

The pressure is high, especially after the ECA (Catalan Football Association) identified 200 issues that need fixing before the stadium can get its required licenses.

With both player registrations and stadium works under tight deadlines, Barcelona’s season opener is shaping up to be as intense off the pitch as it will be on it.