Are the memories of that historic 2010 World Cup returning to Spanish football? The backbone of that Spain team was Barcelona’s players. Sixteen years later Spain are again in a World Cup final, and once more Barcelona is the team’s main strength. Eight footballers in the World Cup squad of current European champions Spain are from Barcelona. On the other side, Argentina legend Lionel Messi is himself a Barça legend, having spent almost his entire career at the Catalan club.
The eight players in this Spain team who came up through La Masia are Lamine Yamal, Víctor Muñoz, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Eric García, Àlex Grimaldo and Marc Cucurella. In the semi-final against France, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsí shone from the start. Early in the match Lamine Yamal won a penalty after being fouled in the box, from which Oyarzabal scored to put Spain ahead; in the second half, a magical assist from Dani Olmo let Pedro Porro score, closing off France’s route back. In defence Pau Cubarsí stood as a wall, giving the French attack no chance, while substitutes Ferran Torres and Pedri brought life to midfield and attack, and squad members Joan García, Eric García and Gavi cheered their teammates on from the sidelines.
These eight Barcelona players are now the main charioteers of Spain’s title bid, young footballers from Barcelona’s famous “La Masia” academy now lighting up the field for the national team. When Spain first became world champions in 2010, the squad also had nine Barcelona players — Víctor Valdés, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Cesc Fàbregas, Pedro and Pepe Reina — and that history seems set to repeat. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, entered La Masia at 13 and is now one of the greatest footballers of all time, having won everything there is with Barcelona. Lamine Yamal, seen at Barcelona as Messi’s next incarnation, is also a La Masia product; before the final Messi himself expressed his admiration for Yamal, while also speaking of stopping him on the pitch. The final is thus set to be a battle between two generations of Barcelona.
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