The Cameroonian footballer, now a rival of Real Zaragoza, came through Barcelona’s academy and eventually became part of the first team. His start against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2015/16 season, when he was 19, came in a notable lineup: Ter Stegen; Vermaelen, Bartra, Jordi Alba, Kaptoum, Samper, Adriano, Rakitic, Sandro, Munir and Messi.
He also made appearances in the Copa del Rey that same campaign. In fact, he scored in the semifinal against Valencia at Mestalla, in a match that ended 1-1. Previously, in the first leg, the Catalans had won 7-0.
Kaptoum alongside Tello and Joaquín during his time at Real Betis. Photo: Kaptoum’s social media
After leaving Barcelona, following a meniscus injury, he signed for Real Betis. He made 10 La Liga appearances at the age of 23. His achievements include playing the full match in a 1-0 victory over Atlético de Madrid and starting in a 0-2 win against Real Madrid. The following season, he played in five matches.
Juventud de Torremolinos’ theoretical cornerstone also played in the Europa League. He made two appearances, starting one of them against Dudelange. He also played four more Copa del Rey matches.
SECOND DIVISION
Kaptoum continued his career in Spain’s Segunda División with Almería without success after a spell in the United States. He also played for Las Palmas, with whom he won promotion to the top flight in the 2022/23 season. He later returned to the Conference League with AEK Larnaca, making three more appearances.
Last season, he divided his time between Nàstic de Tarragona and Cacereño before Juventud de Torremolinos once again showed its confidence in him. He played 90 minutes against Atlético Madrileño, in a 2-2 draw, followed by another 73 minutes in the Andalusian side’s 2-0 defeat to Castilla.
Now Real Zaragoza await him, needing a win. They must show that their victory was not a one-off, but rather the beginning of a sustained path back to professional football immediately. The next step is beating Kaptoum’s Juventud de Torremolinos, the player who was once a starter for Messi’s Barça in the Champions League.
