A match that the madridismo didn't even want to see

BarcelonaFootball historians recall that Real Madrid truly became great in the 1950s thanks to the European Cup. That newly created tournament prospered at a time when the Old Continent was still rebuilding after World War II. It was also a time when the Spanish national team was better known for its failures than its successes — except for the 1964 European Championship, held precisely in Spain—. So the Franco regime was quite pleased that the Madrid club, winner of the first five editions, established itself as an ambassador for the country internationally. It was still a winning team that, in the domestic First Division competition, would also rack up league titles.

Things have changed a lot today. Madrid has continued to win titles, but Spain is now a formidable team. In 2008, it broke a long historical streak by winning its second European Championship. Since then, it has won a Nations League (2023), two more European Championships (2012 and 2024), and a World Cup (2010). However, these successes have not always been well received by Madrid fans, as they have been linked to a style of play closer to Barça's – fond of possession and attacking football – than to the strictly results-oriented approach practiced at the Bernabéu. In fact, the 2008 European Championship came after a more than controversial decision by the coach, Luis Aragonés, who left Raúl, a symbol of Real Madrid, out of the squad.

Sunday, Spain is once again in a position to win another World Cup. And, once again, it can achieve this with a team that breathes Barcelonism in the squad (Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Eric Garcia, and Joan Garcia) and in the way of playing on the field. A team where Madrid would have no representative if it weren't for Florentino Pérez hastily closing the signing of Marc Cucurella (trained at La Masia) on the very day the Spanish national team was playing its first match of the tournament.

In the corridors of the Bernabéu, they admit frankly that, in general terms, Florentino is not at all concerned about the Spanish national team. That the president believes that Spain's great ambassador remains its Madrid and not the Roja, and therefore has no complex when it comes to building a starting eleven with almost no Spaniards. Or in selling the vast majority of players trained at the academy — which has recently been renamed La Fábrica — and scouring the world for the great stars who, in addition to their football talent, will add a plus to the club's brand. The passport doesn't matter, what matters is that the crest shines.

Mbappé, eliminated and with no options for the Ballon d'Or

But this business model has ended up sinking in the World Cup. Kylian Mbappé, the spearhead of Florentino's project, will not play the final after fall against Spain in the semifinals and will have to settle for looking for a goal in the match for third and fourth place that will place him as the top scorer in the tournament. In the Gaulish squad there are also Tchouameni and Konaté, another Real Madrid signing this summer. Another of Madrid's main names, Jude Bellingham, who was defeated in the semifinals at the hands of Argentina, will also not be there. These eliminations, after a blank year at the club, leave them with no options to win the Ballon d'Or, an award that the Real Madrid president values to the extreme for the commercial exploitation that can be achieved from it.

In fact, and this is what particularly annoys Florentino, this Ballon d'Or has a high chance of ending up in the hands of two great stars linked to Barça. Lamine Yamal, on the part of the red one, and Leo Messi on the Argentine side. Even though in the set sky blue even if there are no footballers playing at Camp Nou, Messi continues to be linked to the Barça squad, due to his glorious past and the signs of affection he himself shows, from that secret and nocturnal visit to the stadium to recent statements where he spoke of Barça as the club he "loved".

Vinícius, a player who could not revalue himself at the World Cup

Madrid's failure at the World Cup has had other notable names, such as Brazilian Vinícius Júnior, eliminated by Norway in the round of 16. A defeat that has lowered the footballer's valuation, who is awaiting renewal and about whom speculation had even arisen about a departure this summer: even if not publicly admitted, Florentino needs to raise funds to compensate, among other things, for the income he has failed to obtain from the commercial exploitation of the Bernabéu stadium (concerts, parking or luxury catering).

Along the way, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was also eliminated against Spain in the quarterfinals, a round where Moroccan Brahim Díaz also fell. The other two Madrid signings of the summer, Portuguese Bernardo Silva and Dutch Denzel Dumfries, said goodbye early (round of 16 and round of 32, respectively). And German Antonio Rüdiger went home in the round of 32, eliminated on penalties by the Swedish team, a round where Austrian David Alaba also fell. Uruguayan Fede Valverde and Turkish Arda Güler did not even pass the group stage.