Valentín Barco

Valentín "Colo" Barco (born 23 July 2004) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Chelsea and the Argentina national team.

Club career Boca Juniors In 2021, Barco signed his professional contract. On 16 July 2021, he made his professional debut at 16 years old in a 1–1 draw against Unión. He was included in The Guardians "Next Generation" list for 2021.

On 29 June 2023, Barco scored his first goal for the club in a 4–0 victory against Monagas in the Copa Libertadores. Less than one month later on 24 July, he scored his first league goal in a 2–1 victory against Newell's Old Boys after converting a cross from Pol Fernández. He continued to fulfil his promise for Boca, when on 10 August 2023, during their game against Nacional Montevideo in the Copa Libertadores round of 16, produced a dominant display for the blue and gold, displaying creativity key to both Boca goals. Boca were pegged back twice during the 90 minutes of regulation play and with the game at 2–2 on the night and on aggregate, it went to penalties. Barco stepped up fifth of five for Boca and scored the decisive penalty to take them to the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, Boca faced Brazilian club Palmeiras. The first leg finished goalless at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. During the return leg in Brazil, Barco stood on the ball with both feet whilst in possession, a move that at his young age in a Copa Libertadores semi-final, stunned the Palmeiras players, fans and South American critics alike. It was a move that garnered many headlines, despite a counter-attacking goal by Edinson Cavani and a red card being shown to Marcos Rojo. The draw, once again for Boca – with a 1–1 aggregate score – went to a penalty shootout. They won the shootout 4–2, courtesy of a heroic display by goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

At the age of 19, Barco played as a starter for Boca in the 2023 Copa Libertadores final against Fluminense. He played 78 minutes before being replaced by fellow youth product Luca Langoni. Boca lost the final 2–1 after extra time, courtesy of goals by German Cano and John Kennedy.

Brighton & Hove Albion On 20 January 2024, Barco transferred to Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee – reported to be around $10 million (€9.1 million) – signing a four-and-a-half year contract until 30 June 2028.

Loan to Sevilla On 23 August 2024, Barco moved to La Liga club Sevilla on loan for the 2024–25 season without buy option.

Strasbourg On 2 February 2025, Barco moved on another loan, this time to Ligue 1 club Strasbourg. On 2 July 2025, he moved to Strasbourg permanently for a fee of £7.87 million.

Chelsea On 2 August 2026, Chelsea announced the signing of Barco on a seven-year contract until 2033 for a reported deal of £34 million.

International career

Barco debuted for the Argentine senior squad on 23 March 2024 in a friendly match against El Salvador. He scored his first international goal in the stoppage time of a 5–0 victory over Zambia on 1 April 2026.

Barco was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the tournament, he played against Jordan in a group stage match which Argentina won 3–1. In the Semi-final against England, which resulted in 2–1 win for Argentina, he was an unused substitute. During the match, Barco celebrated the winning goal by running from the substitutes bench, away from his teammates and towards the England players. After the match ended, he was slapped on the back of his head by England's Jude Bellingham, after supposedly insulting him behind his back.

Style of play Barco has been described as one of Argentina's most intriguing youth prospects. He has played as a marauding full-back who can make forward runs and create chances for his teammates. He has also been noted for his versatility, having played as a winger, and more recently as a central midfielder.

Career statistics Club

International

Argentina score listed first, score column indicates score after each Barco goal.