On June 4, 2026, Chinese media outlet Liaoning Daily reported that 14-year-old footballer Li Haoyan (Li Haoyien), from Dalian City, Liaoning Province, had signed with FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, becoming the first Chinese national to do so.

The article introduced that Li officially signed a contract with La Masia Youth Academy on the evening of the 3rd, Beijing time. Li will henceforth play in matches as a member of FC Barcelona's U-15 team, and has become the first player of Chinese origin in the history of Barcelona's youth academy.

It was also introduced that Li has a father who is a football coach, is a left-footed forward who has received systematic training since the age of 6, and during the 2025/26 season, while belonging to CF Damm, in Catalonia's U-14 top league matches, he scored 4 goals in 8 matches, becoming the team's top scorer.

Furthermore, in October 2025, he was selected for the Catalonia U-14 representative team, becoming the first Chinese player to be selected for a Spanish regional representative level youth team. He had also received invitations for tryouts from many strong clubs in Spain's first division, such as Real Madrid and Villarreal, but ultimately La Masia signed the contract, it was reported.

In response to this report, various reactions were posted on the Chinese internet. While there were voices expressing genuine joy, such as 'Chinese football can do it if it tries' and 'I'm excited for the future', there were also cynical views like 'There are so many Chinese people, it's not surprising that one outstanding player would emerge'.

Comparisons with Lin Liangming (Lin Liangming), who also had experience joining Barcelona's youth academy, became a topic of discussion. Voices were raised saying, 'Lin was sent through commercial operations, but Li proved his ability in Spanish league matches and was recognized by Barça on his own merits. They are not the same,' and 'Lin's was a commercial contract at 19, but Li was sought after by Barça, Real, and others at 14. The level is different'.

In addition, comments suggesting structural problems in Chinese football were also seen, such as 'If he stays away from capital and the Chinese Football Association, his future is bright,' 'Is he faking his age?', and 'Among many players who end their careers in youth development, I hope he is an exception.' (Edited and Translated by Kawajiri)