We read in ARA that the mural in Obradors street dedicated to the Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter "appeared vandalized less than 24 hours after it was painted". The painting, which is the work of artist Alberto León, shows – or rather, used to show – the coach with the World Cup after Spain's victory in the Football World Cup.

The refereeing performances in the World Cups usually anticipate the future of football. FIFA takes advantage of the most important tournament on the calendar as a laboratory where it tests new interpretations of the rules and unprecedented regulations before deciding if they deserve to be part of international football. This World Cup has been no exception. Some innovations have left a good impression, but others have generated so much controversy that they will hardly continue, just as the tournament has also highlighted the risks of an excessively permissive refereeing model that has conditioned the development of many matches.

Anything a celebrity shares on their social media can be susceptible to generating controversy. Rosalía has experienced this firsthand this week, when Argentine fans have revolted against her after she re-shared a video by actress Mia Khalifa that some interpreted as a mockery of the Argentine national team, which last Sunday was defeated by Spain in the World Cup final. This Wednesday, the singer used Instagram to apologize to the Argentine followers who felt offended. "I shared it because "La perla" was playing and I didn't even read what it said. Sorry", she says in a first Instagram story. Immediately after, she shared another one in which she emphasizes: "I only have love for Argentina".

The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, breathes easy. After a World Cup with a host of fires, it seems he has gotten his way. They booed him and criticized him, true. And he has seen how, especially in Europe, politicians and journalists said he should not be the president of the institution that decides the future of world football. But the criticisms go in one ear and out the other, as he has achieved his goal: incredible audiences, selling the most expensive tickets in World Cup history, keeping Donald Trump happy, and, especially, ensuring he will continue to rule. In the elections of March 2027, he will be re-elected.

We read in ARA that the spokesperson for Vox in the Parliament, Joan Garriga, and the spokesperson for the PP, Lorena Roldán, "have asked this Tuesday that the chamber officially receive the Spanish national football team and honor the World Cup champions", considering that it is a "shared joy" for all citizens. How lucky we are in life to have these two political heroes, who, unintentionally, agree for the common good, without thinking about partisanship.

The Spanish national team footballers will each receive a bonus of approximately 750,000 euros for winning the World Cup, a figure that is three times the 245,000 euros received by the players of the Spanish women's team. world champion in 2023. Thus, the difference between the extraordinary bonus between male and female players for winning the World Cup exceeds half a million euros.

A bird flying over Madrid's Cibeles square at four in the afternoon would have seen a multitude of open umbrellas. They were not to protect themselves from a null threat of rain, but rather they were essential allies for the brave who were preparing to resist for more than six hours to celebrate the Spanish national team's second World Cup from the front row. Throughout the afternoon, even Samur volunteers refreshed them with atomized water dispensers to withstand the suffocating heat. It is a select group of people who were convinced that the occasion was worth it. Just like the almost two million fans who have flooded the streets of Madrid to follow the parade. The players began their parade from the Arc de Triunfo after passing through the Zarzuela to be received by the royal family and through Moncloa to greet Pedro Sánchez. From there, they traveled four kilometers to reach Cibeles.

We want a Catalan sports team, of course, like the Scots, because it's logical and because everyone aspires to a bit of banal nationalism. But we don't want politicians from one side to ask for it, because they put a flock of sheep to sleep, and the victimist tone and false "we demand" are much hotter. Nor do we want those from the other side to talk about Spanish uninhibitedness, because there can be no Spanish uninhibitedness with Franco's heir, "Felipe VI" (such was the name he wore on the shirt with which he watched the semi-final, so sadly) on the throne. Uninhibitedness means the usual, whether we're talking about football, trains, or the Mediterranean diet. Some have to put in the effort and others receive the Michelin star. I would like the teams to be requested by the clubs, the players, the members of those clubs. Those who would sing Els segadors with fervor, because it has lyrics, unlike the Spanish anthem. And it doesn't have them for one reason: it "used to" have them. In Spain, everything comes from before.

On Monday at noon, the shockwave of the Spanish national team's victory in the World Cup reached the sports news. The feeling of collective euphoria was a common point across all programs. But where the idea of unanimity was most emphasized was in Jugones, Josep Pedrerol's show on La Sexta's afternoon slots. “The whole of Spain vibrated with the national team. This is how Ferran's goal was experienced in... Barcelona, for example”. The "for example" tried to pretend it was a randomly chosen city, but the intention was clear. Barcelona was the first snapshot of an explosion of celebration across Spain, to which images from Madrid and Seville were later added. The program also emphasized the spirit of Spanishness that had invaded the Basque Country: “This was sung in Bilbao. Euphoria also broke out there”, they said. And they showed images of a group of boys hugging, chanting the traditional “I am Spanish, Spanish, Spa-a-a-nish!” Pedrerol insisted on this idea of absolute unanimity: “In the big cities and in the villages. Children and adults. All of Spain united by the national team”. The subsequent voice-over of the video insisted on this idea of a “united country”, always starting with Barcelona, with a girl sticking half her body out of the car to wave a large Spanish flag. Then images from Madrid, Valencia, and Badajoz were shown, and Mataró and Terrassa were incorporated among towns like Jerez de la Frontera, El Cuervo, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The ripple effect of Spanish pride. It is logical that, from the state's point of view, this idea of a homogeneous mosaic that does not take into account dissidences, reticences, or other sensitivities is sought. But in a subtle way, this desire to underline and exhibit Spanish fervor in Catalonia was appreciated in a program that, during the time of the Procés, exuded contempt for any claim, not just for independence, but for Catalan identity.On La 1's Telediario they used the headline "One country, one cry: champions", which also seemed to allude to this unity of feeling. However, they did include in the rundown the news about the violent attacks that had occurred in Bilbao and Navarra in areas where fans had gathered in front of a big screen to cheer on the Spanish team. Another differentiating fact of Spanish public television was the image of Pedro Sánchez's presence at the match. In the Telediario they showed the photograph of the Spanish president greeting Donald Trump in the stands. The rest of the sports programs avoided the scene and Sánchez was made invisible. Trump took all the spotlight, following his desire to appear in the photo of the champions lifting the cup. Then they say that thing about separating politics from football, but only when it's convenient and as long as it doesn't affect their ideology or their conception of what Spain should be.

Trump attended the heaviest final in history, not so much to act as host as to make some memes with his friend Infantino. He went with two hot potatoes in his pockets: his war in Iran (which he's losing) and the midterm elections next November (which he might also lose). Both potatoes, of course, are strongly connected: naturally, the disastrous management of the Gulf crisis and its consequences worsen Trump's expectations before the elections, in which the majority in Congress is at stake.In Iran, Trump continues to cling to what the journalist from the New Yorker Robin Wright has defined as "ad-lib strategy", i.e., a strategy that is no strategy at all. A course of action based on sudden turns, caprice, volatility, and changes of direction, in which massive bombings are ordered one moment and supposed diplomatic successes are announced the next, which are always successes in the style of Vance, Hegseth, or Rubio: ideas that must have seemed good in the meetings of the hard core of the Trump administration but which fail on contact with reality. Having resumed the armed conflict after signing, even if only by teleconference, a peace agreement – now frozen from Tehran, while Trump went off to football – can only be described as a demonstration of ineptitude and weakness. It is clear that Trump and his collaborators underestimated the resistance capacity of the Ayatollah regime, which has even overcome the beheading of its leadership and renewed it without too many problems, at least in appearance. It has not been a walk in the park like staging a coup in Caracas, kidnapping Maduro, installing a puppet government in the country, and stealing its oil. Trump's pirate ship has run aground in the Gulf, and besides the thousands of human lives already consumed by the conflict, the orange pachyderm risks the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed. The consequent rise in fuel prices, and prices in general, is an extremely unpopular effect among the American electorate. This is one of the factors that explain the very low popularity ratings that Trump has been dragging for some time, and the poor expectations that polls give him for the "mid-termelections of November.This is why Trump has for days been resorting to the fascist resistance manual (they have one too) and appeared last Friday on Fox – no other channel wanted to broadcast it – with a statement warning of a possible electoral fraud like the one, according to him, that already occurred in the 2020 elections, a lie based on misrepresentations about immigration, demographics, and the census. Does that sound familiar? It's the same song that the far-right here repeats day and night, both the Spanish and the Catalan, starting with the pathetic Feijóo. It wasn't what Trump wanted, but remembering the American elections of 2020 was a way to also remind us that he was the instigator of the assault on the Capitol on Three Kings' Day in 2021. And that, consequently, he should not be in the presidency, but in prison.

The 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, which was decided by a 1-0 Spanish victory, left several controversies beyond the result. From refereeing decisions to post-match incidents, including the unexpected prominence of Donald Trump, these are some of the scenes that have generated the most controversy.

Argentines don't watch the match, they surrender to it, following the rhythm of cumbia as if football were going to save their lives. The Hyat hotel in L'Hospitalet, the designated place for the institutional gathering of Argentines exiled in Barcelona, is an UFO in the middle of nowhere. But if you put an empanada stand and a couple of Maradona banners in a carpeted hall, it's enough to build a country. Almost all the shirts are Messi's and all tattooed skins include some reference to Maradona. The percussion and the lololos are tireless, it's impossible to hear your own voice or understand the lyrics of the chants which, as a die-hard Barça fan as I am, seem too festive and calm for a World Cup final. I understand this by interviewing Argentinians who have taken the opportunity to dye their hair blue and paint the albiceleste on their cheeks: Alicia and Rosana, from Mar del Plata and Buenos Aires, have been here for over 15 years, and, like everyone I speak to, they tell me that their emotional voltage was sublimated against England, and that they feel so grateful because Spain has welcomed them that they would even be happy in case of defeat in the final. "Win or lose, then we'll go to the [Arc de] Triomf to celebrate". I don't think the boys dressed in Catalan national team shirts or Barça's quadribarrada think the same: it turns out there are a handful of young Catalans who have decided to come to the Argentinian gathering to feel at home, an insurmountable metaphor for the country that will need to be prepared for those who say "football and politics must be separated".

Ferran Torres will go down in history as the decisive goalscorer in the second World Cup won by the Spanish national team in its entire history. In extra time, the Valencian from Barça shot down Dibu Martínez, who had made several saves, to unleash a delirium that will last for years. Here are some immediate thoughts.

Rivers of ink have flowed these days over a photograph that came to light two summers ago, on the occasion of the fascinating emergence, at just 16 years old, of Lamine Yamal in a major international tournament: a European Championship that the Spanish team ended up winning in England. The current impact, on the eve of a World Cup final, surpasses the initial one. In fact, there are even skeptics who suggest, in the midst of the explosion of artificial intelligence, that the image in question is a fake.

Every time Spain competes successfully in a World Cup or a European Championship, symbolism and spontaneous expressions of support for the Spanish team proliferate in the streets of Catalonia, especially among young people. The phenomenon has intensified since the Spanish team is projected more as an extension of Barça and La Masia than of old Spain. It plays attractive football, accumulates successes, and projects a modern and seductive image, far from the old "gallard manliness" that smelled of Terry and stale.

Four goals in the first half and six in the second. Ten in total. The match for third and fourth place in the 2026 World Cup was chaotic, more like an exhibition match than a tournament that is supposed to be the highest expression of football on the planet. Because England went into the break winning no less than 0-4, but at times in the second half it seemed they could lose to a reborn France. In the end, the English ended up winning 4-6.

A new era has begun in world football. Spain sewed the second star as world champion onto their jersey after defeating an Argentina in extra time, who had run out of miracles in the semifinals. The final of a strange and exciting World Cup was always played according to what Spain wanted, turning everything around the ball, attacking with ambition. Glory is theirs after a final in which Messi, very disconnected from the game, ceded the crown to Lamine Yamal. An era ends and a new one begins, personified in the young man from Rocafonda. One man alone cannot win World Cups, but a team can. And Luis de la Fuente's team, a coach until recently unknown, is a block that defends a style. An idea in which the collective rules, even though a lack of accuracy prolonged the agony until extra time. A final decided thanks to an unexpected hero, the Valencian Ferran Torres, who caught a ball inside the area. If in 2010 Spain won their first World Cup with a goal from Iniesta in the 116th minute, on this occasion the goal arrived in the 106th thanks, once again, to a Barça player.

When this Sunday the ball starts rolling in the World Cup final at the MetLife stadium on the outskirts of New York, the city that never sleeps, all eyes will be on two players trained in Barcelona, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal. The leaders of Argentina and Spain, the two finalist teams. It will be special for a group of people who, searching through old photos on their mobile phones, find some that show these two players when they were much younger: the coaches from La Masia who, in some way, helped them on both their paths to MetLife stadium.

The security protocol in New York State in case of an electrical storm is very strict and prevents any outdoor activity if there are less than 30 seconds between a lightning strike and the accompanying thunder. Furthermore, activities cannot resume until at least half an hour has passed since the last thunder. For this reason, the Spanish team was unable to hold its last training session before the World Cup final. The team coached by Luis de la Fuente could not step onto the pitch at the Melanie Lane Training Ground in New Jersey and had to settle for an activation session in the gym. Argentina had better luck. In their case, they only had to postpone training by 45 minutes at the Red Bull Academy in Morristown: it rained on them, but they were able to train without further impediments.

I also think, like Minister Puente, that Carles Puigdemont should pack his bags and show up in Barcelona, and get himself arrested if necessary, to demonstrate that Spanish justice is a political entity at the service of Spanish nationalism, and that it is indifferent to contradicting the CJEU, as it has already corrected itself regarding the popular sovereignty represented in Parliament. But I will not do it, because even though I am convinced that such a gesture would be good for the country, and bad for Spain's international reputation, I do not see myself able to ask for sacrifices from a person who has been forced to live away from her homeland for nine years.In addition to Puigdemont and other leaders, there are dozens of political officials and high-ranking civil servants whose futures are still compromised, as they are awaiting, two years later, the application of the amnesty that the pro-independence parties managed to impose on the PSOE in exchange for Pedro Sánchez's investiture. Two years of false reconciliation, of a forced reunion that is based on blackmail. This deceitful normality has gripped the freedom of action of two parties that paid dearly for the hesitations of 2017 and that have failed in all attempts to regain the initiative. Each has failed in its own way, with its own mirages; Junts, with the mystical trap of Waterloo, and ERC, with the prosaic trap of partial agreements that reality, shaped in Madrid, renders inapplicable. And in addition, there is the joint failure of rivalry and disunity, which has caused the option of presenting a weak PSOE with a genuine tug-of-war that would allow us to say that the Procés was not entirely in vain to fade away.The ruling of the CJEU is a reputational defeat for Spain and its judges, but for Catalonia it is only a tactical victory with limited impact. In short, everyone loses, but at least we can say that we are closer to closing one chapter – not that of the Process, but that of false reconciliation – and opening another: that of the new country project, presented without baggage, with new ideas and faces. Everything is more difficult than two decades ago, but those of us who were there are still here (in the background, but we are here), and the problems and threats that made us take to the streets, unfortunately, continue to lurk, even more serious and painful. A new generation must draw the future, without humiliating those who did not succeed, but without allowing themselves to be constrained by their legacy.Meanwhile, with Catalanism banned from the streets, football-mad Spain has gone on the offensive, because it knows what's at stake, because it has no other burning key to sustain its identity, and because in our country there are enough fools to swallow the World Cup placebo and forget about the fundamental question, which is who this monstrous state marketing operation truly benefits, who it is saving the furniture for, just as the 1978 championship saved the backside of dictator Videla.I hope, since we are talking about it, that after the suffocating experience of this Football World Cup, it will not be necessary to insist again to our politicians on the fact that the symbolic battle for Catalonia is as important as the battle for sovereignty or for taxes. It is demonstrated that symbolic capital, in plural entities, can be divided just as competences and resources are divided. The fact that Spain reserves its exclusivity, to make it a tool for unification and indoctrination through mass sport, denies the plurality of the State and is a luxury we cannot afford. That Catalonia and Euskadi participate in European-level championships would be a first step to correct this operation, so well crafted, of national assimilation through the leisure (or opium) of the people.