There was no tribute ceremony at Camp Nou for the world champions with Spain prior to the match against Athletic Club. "It is neither the most appropriate context nor moment. Football should serve to unite and not to generate confrontations that do not benefit anyone," declared Joan Laporta on Wednesday, before confirming that Barça would change the congratulation to the mundialists for an "act of exaltation of the estelada, which represents the way of thinking of many culers and Catalans". And thousands of culers and Catalans responded by filling the stadium with estelades.

Hansi Flick was understood when, on the eve of tonight's match between Elche and Barça (9:30 p.m., Movistar La Liga), he publicly questioned whether Alejandro Balde has enough conviction to earn his place at Barça. With just over a week left until the transfer market closes, the blaugrana coach opened the exit door for the full-back raised in the Sant Martí de Provençals neighborhood of Barcelona.But he wasn't the only one, because Flick also publicly invited Jules Kounde to leave the club. "We have been clear with these players. It's a club situation, we are making a lot of changes. We have to wait until the end of the market. It's normal when you decide you want new players: you think about how to make the team stronger," he stated.

Without a center forward, but with an inspired Raphinha and a Fermín who can do anything. Without Balde, whom the club is pushing towards the exit, nor Cancelo, who has just arrived, but with a colossal Espart. Without Rodri, but with a Bernal who ensures the present and, above all, the future. Without many new faces in the starting eleven, but with an Adeyemi willing to show Hansi Flick that he did well by signing him. As Gordon would later do, author of two assists coming off the bench. With all these ingredients, Barça started the championship in a very encouraging way (0-5) against an Elche that did not manage to trouble the Catalan team at any moment. Only Gavi's injury, who left the field before the break touching his right knee which has bothered him so much in the last two seasons, marred an efficient victory.

The heat that made t-shirts stick to chests and backs at Camp Nou in the middle of August did not prevent almost 55,000 people from approaching the stadium to cheer Rodri and enjoy the debut, at home, of Hansi Flick's enthusiastic 3.0 project. In a match without much history against Egyptian Al-Ahly (2-1), the Gamper began with the fans – among them many tourists, as is usual in the celebration of this match during the holiday season – bowing at the feet of the Madrid-born midfielder. The former City player did not play, but he was present at the presentation of the signings. On the other hand, Cancelo could not be there, who, although he did get dressed, Barça has not yet been able to finalize all the paperwork to make his incorporation official. While Rodri was acclaimed, Frenkie de Jong received some whistles. With the captaincy withdrawn from the Dutchman and handed over to Raphinha, it was the Brazilian who was in charge of giving a speech in which he remembered the injured players, called for unity, and welcomed the new signings. Hansi Flick, for his part, had also asked for unity and managed to be loved a little more by letting himself go with some phrases in Catalan.

The signing of Rodrigo Hernández Rodri to Barça could not be fully explained without a wedding, that of his good friend Daniel Codina. This is the person who, along with other employees of the Blaugrana club, has not left the side of the shining Blaugrana signing since his arrival in Barcelona this Monday.

If in the most glorious eras of contemporary Barça, the leader of the midfield was Sergio Busquets, now the Catalan club has not only strengthened itself with a Ballon d'Or winner and the best player of the World Cup, but also with the figure who most closely resembles Sergio Busquets: Rodrigo Hernández is now officially a Culer. Barça will pay Manchester City a transfer fee of 60 million euros fixed, 11.5 million in easily achievable variables (such as, for example, depending on the games played in the League) and another 5 million euros in case of winning the Champions League. The Madrid-born defensive midfielder has signed until 2030.

Fermín López (El Campillo, Huelva, 2003) has had a tough time because he missed a football World Cup where he would have been important due to an injury. He explains that he couldn't even watch Spain's first matches and had to strengthen his psychological work to recover emotionally. Now he is at 100%, will wear the number 7, and wants to win the Champions League with Barça.

The signing of Xavi Hernández as the new coach of the Netherlands was sealed this Wednesday afternoon. After three weeks of meetings between Barcelona and Amsterdam, during which the sporting director of the Dutch football federation Nigel de Jong contacted the former Barcelona coach to offer him the position, the definitive agreement was sealed in Marbella. After a few days on the Costa Brava, Xavi Hernández is with family and friends in this municipality on the Malaga coast. De Jong travelled there to sign the contract that has made the man from Terrassa the new coach of the Netherlands until the 2030 World Cup.

The Netherlands national team officially announced this Wednesday the signing of Xavi Hernández as the new manager of the Dutch senior team. The former Barça coach, 46 years old, puts an end to his sabbatical period and takes over from Ronald Koeman until the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Andreas Christensen's time at Barça continuing after two very discreet last seasons is thanks to Hansi Flick. Although since the German's arrival the centre-back has suffered a string of injuries and has only participated in 24 matches (of which he has only started six), the Barça coach trusts in recovering a defender whose quality no one doubts.

A decisive week begins for the composition of the Barça 2026/2027 squad. Many open folders on the desk of the Barcelona sporting director, Anderson Luis de Souza, Deco. Among all of them, two stand out in the form of arrivals, Rodri Hernández and Julián Álvarez. If the signing of the Madrid midfielder, made in a lightning move by Real Madrid, is awaiting an agreement with Manchester City, which understands the player's desire to leave, the operation to recruit the Atlético de Madrid forward is much greener (not to say almost impossible). Barça has already verbally agreed the terms of a five-season contract with Julián, but has repeatedly encountered the mattress club's refusal to sell him. "We will not accept 100, nor 150, nor 200 million for him," sentenced the club's CEO, Miguel Ángel Gil, a few weeks ago.

In the first edition of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, held at the Bluenery Friuli Stadium in Udine (Italy), Barça participated in a football triangular for the first time in 24 years. The Blaugrana defeated Nottingham Forest (1-0), who finished sixteenth in the Premier League last season - and who this season have lost their best player: Elliot Anderson, for whom Manchester City paid 135 million euros - but lost to the hosts, Udinese (1-0). The Italians won both their matches, as before facing Barça they had already beaten the English by the same score (1-0).

A goal in extra time of a World Cup final. The winning goal. A goal and a title that is about to change Ferran Torres' history. Surely without this goal, the footballer would have had a less eventful summer and who knows if with fewer suitors. But the fact is that the player from Foios has become one of the most popular players in the Spanish national team and, also, a strong candidate to leave Barça. So much so that the interest of Paris Saint-Germain has grown in recent weeks to become a priority objective. For the moment, nothing is done, but the probabilities that the forward, who is still on vacation, will not set foot in the blaugrana Sports City again are increasingly high.

Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi's father, died on Friday night at the age of 68 in a medical clinic in Rosario, the Argentine star's hometown, due to complications in his health condition stemming from a serious illness. The news was made public by the Argentine news portal Infobae, as well as by the press in the Rosario region, and has been confirmed by ARA. Condolences, including from Barça, have been pouring in throughout the day.

Ronald Araujo will pack his bags this summer. The Uruguayan defender for Barça has accepted a lightning-fast proposal from Liverpool and will go on loan to Anfield for next season. Hansi Flick does not count on him as a starter and the player has considered that the best thing for him is to look for minutes in another team. The information was first reported by Fabrizio Romano and confirmed by ARA late this Friday.

In a new statement early Wednesday to Thursday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has for the first time apologized for the "mistakes" made in his intention to partially sell the World Cup and Club World Cup to private investors, but has stated that he will continue to be FIFA president after receiving the support of senior officials in a meeting held this Wednesday in Morocco.

The future of Ferran Torres is one of the hot potatoes that Barça has to resolve before the transfer market closes. The forward from Foios' contract ends on June 30, 2027. With the hype through the clouds for their decisive goal in the World Cup final with Spain, has proposed to improve conditions whether he continues at the Camp Nou after a renewal or moves on this summer, which is the last chance for the Catalan club to get value from a transfer. The third option would be for Ferran to leave for free next summer, with the risks this entails: Barça would not receive any transfer fee, and the player could get injured and be left with nothing, without any contractual link. In any case, no scenario is ruled out at present.

In the two friendlies that Barça has played so far – against CE Europa (4-1) behind closed doors and against Birmingham City (2-2, 3-2) – Ebrima Tunkara has shown why, despite being only 16 years old, Hansi Flick has counted on him for pre-season. Born in Lamoi (Gambia) in 2010, he is the youngest in an expedition where the average age is around 20 years. Ebrima and the Israeli midfielder Orian Goren, 17 years old, are those who have lived the fewest days on their ID cards, but they are two of the great sensations of Barça's successful academy. The African winger has been one of the standouts in the two summer tests that the Blaugranas have played. "Physically he's a marvel. He's fast, strong, scores goals, left-footed, technically gifted... a very offensive player," they detail to ARA from Barça's stay in England.

Gianni Infantino has backtracked on his proposal to create a subsidiary to sell part of the World Cup and Club World Cup to private investors. "After listening to all opinions, it has become clear that the project has created divisions in such a way that, regardless of support, it is no longer in the interest of the objective initially set out," explained the FIFA president in a statement distributed through social networks.

It was a preseason match, just Barça's second –the first in front of a crowd after the 4-1 victory against CE Europa–, but the tiny St Andrew's Stadium in the Bordesley district of Birmingham was packed to the rafters. Birmingham City FC, a historic English football club that will fight for another year to return to the Premier League, hosted the blaugrana team in the reenactment of a match full of history: both had rivaled in the past in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, with the Catalans beating the English in the two-legged final for the edition played between 1958 and 1960.