Spain, quarter-final team of the World Cup. A goal by Mikel Merino in the last minute places Luis de la Fuente's team among the eight privileged to lift the World Cup this July 19 in New Jersey. The Basque midfielder from Arsenal, a second-half substitute, turned a sensational through ball from Ferran Torres, who also brought magic from the bench, into gold. With this score (0-1), Bob Martínez's Portugal – and Cristiano Ronaldo's – joins the sorrow of Germany, Brazil, or the Netherlands, other teams that have already had to pack their bags. Belgium will be the rivals of the red one in the next round.

Before renewing his contract with Barça until 2028, Hansi Flick made two things very clear. First, he demanded a paradigm shift in physical preparation, something that has been materialized with the departure of Julio Tous and two of his trusted professionals. And, secondly, he made it clear that to raise his team's performance in the Champions League, it was imperative to sign two forwards at their peak. "We need two," he stressed in a pool informal with journalists a few weeks ago. The coach expects that with the departure of veteran Robert Lewandowski, the attacking front needs to be reinforced with a top-level footballer, but he also observes an excessive dependence on Lamine Yamal, especially when essential players like Raphinha Dias are out for almost three months due to injury.

The Spanish team has lived up to expectations and has qualified for the round of 32 of the Football World Cup as group leaders. A lucky goal from Atlético player Álex Baena just before halftime was enough to defeat Uruguay in a very dull match between the two teams (0-1). By finishing in first place, the team avoids playing for a ticket to the round of 16 against Lionel Messi's Argentina. If they do their homework against weak Jordan, the reigning world champion will play the first knockout round against the Cape Verde team, which advances in its World Cup debut after drawing three matches out of three, the last one this morning against Saudi Arabia (0-0).

Hansi Flick's renewal until 2028 has brought a downside related to his staff of work. His Barça has finished the season with two more titles in the bag, the Spanish Super Cup and the League, and also the feeling of having gained defensive solidity, as demonstrated by the fact that Joan Garcia has won the Zamora Trophy. But these great news have coexisted with the repeated complaints in the locker room about the accumulation of injuries, which some heavyweights of the team have associated with deficient physical preparation. As a result of this unease, the German coach asked those responsible at Barça for a change in this department. The request has become a reality: Julio Tous, hired two summers ago, will stop working with the first team. "Between Hansi and Julio, Jan [Laporta] has chosen Hansi. He had no other option," they explain in this newspaper from Sant Joan Despí.

Raphael Dias Belloli, Raphinha, is injured again. In the midst of debate about his immediate future at Barça, the Culer attacker fell in the second match the Brazilian national team played in the World Cup. Same problem, same muscle. In the 40th minute of the duel against Haiti (3-0), he felt a twinge in his right thigh and had to ask to be substituted. There is a tear in the hamstring fibers and he will hardly play again in this championship, although the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) will keep him called up in case they can recover him for the playoffs. It is terrible news for the canarinha and also for a footballer exposed to the benefits of petrodollars.

Important movements in the offices of Barça. Joan Laporta will begin his term with a new financial director. According to reports from El Confidencial and confirmed by ARA, Sergio Serrano has been performing these duties since June 1st. With a background in management and finance from Esade, he has over 25 years of experience in the capital markets sector. He comes from Banc Sabadell, where he held various positions since joining in 2002. He started with portfolio management and soon moved to more strategic areas, such as corporate operations management and internal reorganization processes, and during the most critical years of the financial crisis. In this context, he played a crucial role in the restructuring of CAM (Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo), which in 2011 was acquired by Sabadell after an awarding process.

From the young Lamine Yamal and Pedri González, main hopes of the Spanish team, to legendary veterans like Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modrić, still references for Argentina, Portugal, and Croatia, respectively. Few World Cups in history have had such a wide spectrum in terms of the age of the stars who will be part of it. The World Cup starting this June 11 will be the longest to date (48 teams), and also one of the most fiercely contested. Will the albiceleste" repeat the ecstasy of 2022? Will France be as superior as its starting lineup suggests? Will Brazil once again be a feared opponent by everyone? What will be the surprise team? All these predictions will depend on the role of the ten essential footballers in a tournament that will shake the planet for five exciting weeks.

Neither Michael Olise, nor Vitinha, nor Harry Kane. The world-class star that its president, Florentino Pérez, announced a few days ago during his campaign on Iker Jiménez's program was Julián Álvarez. Or, at least, that's what can be understood from the statement Real Madrid issued on Tuesday evening. "Real Madrid announces that, after the board of directors meeting held this Tuesday, it has made an offer of 150 million euros to Atlético de Madrid for the federative rights of Julián Álvarez," the club stated at the beginning of the document, which concluded with another clear paragraph: "After studying and evaluating it, Atlético de Madrid has appreciated the offer, made within the framework of the good relations between the two clubs, and has rejected it, referring to the player's release clause".

Rafael Yuste is exhausting his days as the top official at Barça. The Barcelona-based businessman, a loyal childhood friend of Joan Laporta, took over the club on an interim basis from the electoral period in March until the end of June. From July 1, Laporta, who has acted as president-elect in recent months, will take office and begin his second consecutive term. And among the matters he will have to address with some urgency are the budget and financing of the Camp Nou works.

Barça is preparing for the first transfer market without restrictions imposed since before the covid pandemic. Joan Laporta has had to win two elections for the presidency of the Blaugrana to be able to go shopping with a normalized salary cap. Incorporating talent for the same value as is freed up – a quick definition of what is known as the 1:1 rule – will allow the president, for example, to fill part of the important space left by Robert Lewandowski with an expensive signing like Anthony Gordon's. He has reasons, therefore, to be happy after so many years of complications.

Barça has convincingly won the League thanks to a competitive spirit developed in relation to last season. The Blaugranes have achieved the objective with three games to spare against a Real Madrid in tatters. Nevertheless, Hansi Flick, recently renewed until 2028, has not been satisfied with the team's performance in certain stages of the season due to muscular injuries. Key players in the squad such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri, or Raphinha suffered around decisive matches, and this – according to the German coach's feelings – has deprived the Culer team, for example, of progressing further in the Cup and the Champions League, two objectives lost to the same rival, Atlètic de Madrid.

When The Killers started to hit it big, Arsenal won what was their last Premier League in 22 years (2004) and played their first Champions League final (2006). Mr. Brightside, the first big hit from the well-known band from Las Vegas, defined a generation at the beginning of the century. It was, just like other tracks by The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand or Arcade Fire, a classic on DJ Amable's playlists at Sala Razzmatazz and caused dopamine rushes at Karma, a club that closed a few months ago after half a century filling the nights of thousands of Barcelonans. Then came Human, which became one of Pep Guardiola's Barça anthems, and other anthems of verse, chorus, bridge, coda, and raised fist. What times those were.

The Spanish absolute men's coach, Luis de la Fuente, gave this Monday at noon the list of called-up players for Spain for the next football World Cup. The coach of la roja will concentrate in the coming weeks and during the World Cup event a group of players with a notable presence of Catalan players (nine) and from Barça, which is by far the club with the most representation (eight players) in a call-up that for the first time in history has no Real Madrid player. From Atlètic de Madrid, Arsenal and Athletic Club there are three players per team. The rest of the clubs that contribute talent (Chelsea, Manchester City, Osasuna, Celta de Vigo, Reial Societat, PSG, Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace) contribute with a single footballer each.

Barça has been reported to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office due to the "sponsorship signed in mid-2025 with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the document registered on May 5, which ARA has accessed, it is specified that the complaint is directed against the club, against "the [Barça] directors responsible for the litigious contract" and against the Central African country's Minister of Sports, Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga. It is requested that they be investigated for alleged crimes of money laundering, prevarication, and embezzlement of public funds. The procedure arises from an initiative by Congolese citizens residing in Spain and is coordinated with another action that was launched regarding the sponsorship that the Congo itself signed with Monaco. This complaint has been investigated by the Principality's justice system since March 6, after the French system declared itself incompetent in the first instance.

Pep Guardiola leaves Manchester City. After days when everyone knew the secret, this Friday it has been made official with a farewell video from the Catalan coach. It was a logical step, as it will allow the Santpedor-born manager to be bid farewell by his fans this Sunday in the last match of the season. On Monday night, the Daily Mail reported on Guardiola's decision to end this victorious cycle in which he has managed to make Manchester City one of the best teams in the world. Now it is official.

Barça closes a perfect home season with a new victory. The azulgranas beat Betis on the day that Robert Lewandowski said goodbye to the azulgrana fans after four seasons. Here are some immediate thoughts.

The Vega Andújar family founded a project in the sports events sector in 1999. They organized a Coca-Cola Cup and some summer camps. The idea evolved towards the distribution of sportswear, and at the beginning of the 2000s, it grew to have eight multi-brand stores. From this initiative, Gedo (Gestión de Eventos Deportivos y Ocio) was born, founded in May 2002, and it grew to the point of outfitting more than 800 sports clubs throughout the country. In Catalonia, l’Hospitalet, Llagostera, Terrassa, and Reus were part of its client portfolio. But what seemed like a solvent business was not so much in reality. In fact, up to five transactions by brothers Ricard and Jordi Vega to raise funds for the company have ended up in court due to non-payment. Other attempts to capitalize Gedo, which today is a project in limbo, have involved several professional footballers. Most have lost their money and their faith in recovering it.

Barça fell in Vitoria in the first of the three formalities left in the League (1-0). Hansi Flick presented a team rich in rotations. Next, some quick notes.

"I regret to inform you that I will not resign." Thus began Florentino Pérez's first press conference in 13 years. The all-powerful white president urgently summoned the media this Tuesday afternoon, but did not announce the name of the new first-team coach after two years without titles. Nor did he say he was resigning due to his advanced age. Quite the contrary: more belligerent than ever against "the bad guys," he announced elections "for the coming weeks" and challenged those Madridistas who want to dispute his position. "'Where is Florentino?' they ask. They say I don't exist, that I'm sick, that I have terminal cancer... I take this opportunity to tell the people who worry about me that I preside over Real Madrid every day and that I am in perfect health," stated the leader.

Barça on Sunday put the finishing touch to a fantastic League in the most brilliant way. It had never happened before and 62,000 Barcelona fans were privileged witnesses. Confirming and celebrating the championship at Camp Nou with a victory against Real Madrid is orgasmic. But doing so after the farce that the white dressing room has gifted in recent days, with fisticuffs, stitches, leaks, and disciplinary proceedings, elevates the climax to superlative levels. Not even the most optimistic culé would have imagined such an outcome. It's hilarious, as Kylian Mbappé has already done.