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Fresh off making history with the U.S. men's national team, Diego Kochen openly stated that returning to his childhood club Barcelona to become their first-choice goalkeeper is "one of my goals."
The youngest goalkeeper ever to start a USMNT match against Mexico departed Barcelona on loan this summer, linking up with newly-promoted Danish top-flight side Lyngby. The deal included a relatively affordable buy option, with Barcelona retaining a sell-on clause reportedly around 40%. Kochen, however, made no secret of his ambition to one day return to the Spanish powerhouse.
"I obviously have my long-term goals," Kochen told GOAL. "I'm on loan right now with Lyngby, so one of my goals is to compete as much as possible and give everything I have for that club.
"At the same time, I come from Barcelona, so to be able to go back? It'd be any kid's dream to go back to such a big club and have the opportunity there. That's another one of my goals."
The Florida-born shot-stopper has lofty aspirations — and it's hard to fault him for it. He spent seven years with the Catalans and came agonizingly close to making his official debut for the first team.
Diego Kochen's Barcelona Career
Kochen joined Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy when he arrived in Catalonia in 2019 at just 13 years old. He steadily climbed through the club's youth ranks, sharing the field with emerging talents such as Marc Guiu and Héctor Fort.
He eventually established himself as a regular for Barcelona's B team, training under current Mexico head coach Rafael Márquez and playing alongside the likes of Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, and Marc Bernal.
Last season, Hansi Flick showed faith in the young American by naming him third-choice goalkeeper following Marc-André ter Stegen's departure. When starter Joan García suffered a knee injury early in the 2025–26 campaign, The Athletic reported that Kochen came very close to earning his first La Liga start for Barça, as backup Wojciech Szczęsny was also managing fitness concerns.
An official debut never materialized, though he did feature for Barça's senior squad in a friendly against Club América in December 2023. Still highly regarded in Catalonia, the 20-year-old recognized that leaving to secure regular playing time was crucial for his growth.
Kochen immediately claimed the starting spot at Lyngby upon his arrival, which earned him a place in Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT squad for the September–October international window. He made his debut against Peru, then followed it up with a history-making performance.
Diego Kochen's Historic USMNT Start Against Mexico
Kochen became the youngest player in USMNT history to start against fierce rivals Mexico. The outing could hardly have gone better for the Barcelona loanee — he kept a clean sheet as the Stars and Stripes cruised to a commanding 3–0 victory over El Tri.
"It's such an honor to represent this country," Kochen told Telemundo after the match. "In such a big stadium and against this rival — who are our rival. I'm very thankful to the team, the staff and the manager for trusting me," he added.
His USMNT teammates have already taken note of his Barcelona roots. "He's come through the Barcelona academy, so I know that he's definitely good with his feet," center back Chris Richards remarked.
Kochen is steadily establishing himself at both club and international level. If he maintains his current trajectory, he has a strong chance of becoming the USMNT's first-choice goalkeeper heading into the 2030 cycle.
And who's to say his dream of returning to Barcelona won't one day become a reality?