If there was doubt, it’s been quashed.
Three games into their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign, and last year’s runners-up have made their intent clear.
Having featured in each of the last five UWCL Grand Finals, Barcelona Femeni have been comfortably the best team in Europe since the turn of the decade.
Following last summer’s shock 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the UWCL Final, their dream of a stunning three-peat was ended.
And in the aftermath of that pain, it looked like the walls were crumbling down around the incredible dynasty that the Barca Femeni has created over the last five years.
Heading into the 2026/27 season, Barca Femeni were facing an uphill battle, with only 17 first-team players registered a week out from their season opener.
These issues stemmed from the financial regulations imposed by La Liga, which heavily impacted the FC Barcelona men’s team and forced the club to cut costs across other areas of the club.
Basically, Aitana Bonmati and Co. were paying for the sins of the FC Barcelona men.
And many years of mismanagement from the previous board of directors.
Six major departures stunned the rest of the women’s football world, with key players like Fridolina Rolfö and Ingrid Engen leaving the Catalan club.
From the outside, it looked like the fabled Barcelona Women’s team was in dire trouble, but they’ve wasted no time silencing the noise.
Ten games into the La Liga F, and their start has been almost perfect.
Nine wins, 47 goals scored, and only two conceded.
They started their title defence with a powerful 8-0 victory at home, before defeating Athletic Club 8-1 on the road.
Six consecutive cleansheets followed, with a particularly compelling 6-0 victory away against Atletico Madrid signifying their ruthless style of play. It remains Atleti’s only defeat of the Liga F season so far.
A shock 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad marked their first game in over five years without finding the back of the net. 2,108 days to be exact.
But the 8-0 victory they delivered in response reaffirmed that this was just a small glitch in the system.
Perhaps they’re not as invincible as the year’s previous, but in no way have they lost their killer instinct.
Top of the table in the league. And in the UWCL, the story is much the same.
After three Champions League matchdays, Barca Femeni sit top of the league with three wins in three.
Commencing their UWCL campaign at home, the Barcelona Women struck seven times against heavyweights Bayern Munich, cruising to a scintillating 7-1 victory that served to remind critics that form is temporary, and class is permanent.
They followed up with a clinical 4-0 demonstration over AS Roma, before defeating Oud-Heverlee Leuven 3-0 to climb into first place ahead of Olympique Lyonnes, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.
With off-field issues casting a dark cloud over the start of this Barcelona Femeni campaign, and the rise in opposition in the women’s space, it would be easy to write the Barca Women off as past their best.
But even with high-profile departures, financial issues, and a target on their backs that comes from such a period of success, it takes far more than that to knock these women from their perch.
Barcelona, after all, is the home to three-peat Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati. They also house Salma Paralluelo, who has finished third on the podium in back-to-back seasons, and Alexia Putellas, who won the Golden Ball twice before Aitana.
With the fresh 18-team league phase format taking effect this year (after being introduced last year for the men), Barcelona Femeni stand proudly at the summit and will no doubt have the firepower and desire to lift the Champions League trophy again!