If you mention the name Roony Bardghji to Football Manager players, many will instantly regale you with a story of how, as a wonderkid, he inspired their team to some sort of glory in FM24.
Long before his high-profile switch to Catalan giants FC Barcelona in July 2025 from FC Copenhagen, he was regarded as one of the most renowned wonderkids of his generation on FM.
The story of Bardghji’s career so far
While many FM players knew of him because of the game, the early exploits of his career were the reason he was so highly rated in recent games.
Bardghji made his professional debut for FC Copenhagen in November 2021 at the age of just 16 years and 6 days, becoming the youngest player ever to appear for the Danish outfit.
Just seven days later, he scored his first goal for Copenhagen in a 3-1 win over AaB. Just under a month later, in October 2022, the winger made his Champions League debut, coming on as a substitute in a 3-0 loss to Sevilla.
In November 2023, the forward scored the first Champions League goal of his career, scoring in a famous 4-3 victory over English giants Manchester United.
He was living the dream of any football-playing teenager. However, in May 2024, Bardghji’s career took a massive blow when he sustained a serious knee injury during training.
The injury kept him sidelined for almost a year. Bardghji returned to action on 31st March 2025 as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Randers.
He went on to make five more appearances in the 2024/25 season, bringing his total appearances for FC Copenhagen in all competitions to 84 and scoring 15 goals.
A move to Barcelona came too soon for Bardghji
When the Swedish international made a move to Barcelona in July 2025, it was obviously a dream come true. Most young footballers would find a switch to Catalonia a difficult one to turn down.
The move to the Spanish champions reportedly cost around €2.3 million, including performance-related add-ons. It seemed like a measly fee for such a highly-rated young player.
Barcelona likely took advantage of the fact that signing Bardghji was a slight gamble after such a serious injury. However, the Catalan giants had little to lose with such a small fee.
Considering he was competing with the likes of Raphinha and one of the best players in the world, Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal, he was always going to struggle for regular first-team football.
However, over the 2025/26 season, the winger made 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring just two goals, despite starting only seven La Liga games, as the Blaugrana retained their crown as Spanish champions.
It could be argued that the move came too soon for the winger. The youngster may well have been better off joining a more mid-level club.
The jump to one of the elite clubs of world football is a massive one, especially under the circumstances, considering that he had just recovered from injury a few months before, and his tender years.
Bardghji set to leave Barcelona this summer
Reports from the Spanish media suggest that the youngster will leave the Blaugrana this summer. Reportedly, Bardghji will look for a move in an effort to play more regular first-team football.
The winger, who has three caps for Sweden, was recently omitted from the Scandinavian country’s World Cup squad. His omission wasn’t a massive surprise because he simply hasn’t played enough minutes for Barcelona.
Head coach Hansi Flick has told Bardghji that his playing time will be restricted next season if he stays.
The arrival of England international winger Anthony Gordon, who can play on both flanks, has also decreased the likelihood of him playing a major part for the Blaugrana next season.
A move to a slightly less high-profile club next season to play more minutes is likely exactly what Roony Bardghji needs. He seems to have been around the game for a long time, but in reality, he is still just 20 years of age.
Even if the winger, as expected, moves on this summer, he still has plenty of time to make it at the elite level of the game.
In fact, the youngster is believed to want to leave on a season-long loan, which would give him the opportunity to prove himself elsewhere while still having a chance of returning to Barcelona the following season.
For him, it is now a matter of finding a club where he can play regular minutes, and getting back to the form that made him such a hot property in the first place.
Hopefully, Roony Bardghji’s career doesn’t follow the same favourite FM wonderkid path as Kerlon, Freddy Adu and Cherno Samba, where they struggle to make a mark in first-team football and drift out of the game.
Arguably, the winger has already had a more productive career than most of those aforementioned players, and he can go on to enjoy a long and productive career at the highest level of the professional game.
Where will Roony Bardghji be playing his football next season?
