Barcelona discovers a new gem knocking on the first-team door
Barcelona’s academy is once again putting the spotlight on a player who, despite her young age, is already breaking records and earning a place among the senior stars. Her story, her goals, and a surname deeply connected to football are beginning to generate huge expectations.
Barcelona Women could be witnessing the emergence of one of their next great stars.
Her name is Mayssa Baha, a forward born in Malaga in 2011 who already knows what it means to break records, score a remarkable number of goals, and compete against players several years older than her.
A debut that lived up to expectations
Baha was one of the standout young players selected by Pere Romeu to work with Barcelona’s first team during preseason.
The forward did not take long to make the most of the opportunity: she scored her first goal for the Blaugrana on the very day of her debut, reinforcing the expectations the club had placed on her development.
Her presence with the senior squad carries even more significance given the attacking options available. With Ewa Pajor as the main center forward, the youngster has had the chance to establish herself as another option for the coach.
And although her age might suggest that the step up has come too soon, Baha has been competing above her age group for several years.
A goalscorer accustomed to breaking records
Her talent began to attract attention long before she trained with the first team.
At just 12 years old, she was called up to Morocco’s U-17 national team, making her exceptionally young for that level.
But one of the moments that truly put her name on the international stage came later. At 14, Baha became the youngest player to score at a U-17 World Cup, also netting a brace against Costa Rica.
Her numbers with Barcelona have not gone unnoticed either. The 1.74-meter-tall forward finished last season with an impressive 39 goals for the Blaugrana, displaying a scoring ability that is difficult to ignore even at academy level.
A surname deeply connected to football
Mayssa is the daughter of Nabil Baha, a former Morocco international striker who played for clubs including Malaga, Braga, AEK Athens, and Sabadell.
Her brother, Ziyad Baha, has also followed the same path. After spending time in the youth academies of Malaga and Betis, the young footballer signed for Olympique de Marseille and has represented Morocco at youth level.
At just 15 years old, Mayssa is now beginning to write her own story. Barcelona have already opened the first-team door for her, and her numbers suggest that her emergence could be only the beginning.
