Kadir Barría: Botafogo‘s Young Star Has Plans for 2026

botafogo’s 3-2 comeback win against Sport featured an unexpected hero: 18-year-old Panamanian Kadir Barría. He scored two key goals in just his third game for the club and quickly became a fan favorite as the season ended. But there are already plans for him in 2026.

According to Botafogo, Barría’s performance is speeding up plans that were carefully made since he arrived in Rio de Janeiro.

inside the club,his performance against Sport is seen as the start of a promising career. While botafogo is cautious about predicting how far he can go, they have a clear goal for next year: to include him in the attacking lineup throughout the season, giving him regular playing time and gradually increasing his responsibilities. the team believes that having a young player improve quickly will make the whole squad more competitive and motivate the experienced players.

The club’s owner,John Textor,believes that pressure from Brazilian fans frequently enough leads coaches to choose more experienced players. This has historically made it hard for young players to get a chance with the first team. Though, the coaching staff saw Kadir as someone ready for closer observation and supported giving him playing time, based on his performance in under-20 games.

Planning for Kadir started in 2024, after he was signed in Panama.It included months of physical and technical training before he signed a professional contract in june of this year. As then, he has excelled in the under-20 team, scoring five goals in ten games and impressing with his movement and finishing.