There’s a reason behind the interest in Gordon, in my opinion, and it’s connected to the interest in Álvarez specifically. I think I somewhat understand Flick’s attacking philosophy. Maybe Flick doesn’t want a pure goal machine or a traditional striker whose only job is scoring inside the box. I think Flick wants attacking pressing machines — productive players who also have goalscoring instincts, while offering defensive qualities and excelling in transitions as well. That’s exactly what Anthony Gordon and Álvarez both provide. So it’s possible that Álvarez’s scoring numbers with Atlético aren’t a major concern for Flick, because the idea is to have a front three that collectively produces and scores. In general, pulling off those two signings in one summer would be extremely difficult, but with Barcelona… expect the unexpected 👍🏽🔥

I’m genuinely amazed by the mentality of this Japan team. Japan put in a fantastic performance against the Netherlands today. The first half was a masterclass in defensive organization and direct play behind the Dutch backline, and they could easily have scored twice from those situations. In the second half, Japan showed tremendous courage. They went behind through Virgil van Dijk, equalized seven minutes later, fell behind again after a goal from Crysencio Summerville, then found another equalizer in the dying moments to earn a point against the Netherlands. This is an Asian team that has beaten Spain, Germany, Brazil, and England, and now held the Netherlands to a draw. Since the last World Cup, no team has been able to beat them at the tournament. They really are footballing computers. Netherlands vs Japan gets my vote for the most entertaining game of the World Cup so far.

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if a team like Japan reached the World Cup semi-finals, or even the final. After the Netherlands scored their second goal, I was just sitting there waiting for Japan to equalize. I was convinced they would come back at any moment. Even after the clock passed the 85th minute, I still felt they were going to find a way back into the game. There’s something unusual about this team. When they defend, it feels like all 11 players are defenders. When they attack, it feels like all 11 players are attackers. The same applies in midfield. They’re organized in a way that would terrify any opponent, and the understanding between the players is incredible.

Barça fans need to calm down a bit and stop panicking. Every time another club announces a signing, some people act as if Barcelona are standing still, but that’s not how transfer windows work. The club has a plan and isn’t going to throw it away just because other teams are making moves first. We’re still in the middle of the World Cup period, and a lot of the market is waiting for the tournament to end before major operations accelerate. The transfer window won’t be judged in June. Barcelona know where the squad needs reinforcement, and I’m convinced more signings will arrive. A striker, a centre-back and full-back reinforcements are all logical priorities. Patience. Let the club work. The window is far from over. 💙❤️

🚨 In the last three years: Barcelona’s signings: Dani Olmo, Joan García, Anthony Gordon. Real Madrid’s signings: Kylian Mbappé, Endrick, Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Álvaro Carreras, Franco Mastantuono, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konaté, and Marc Cucurella. 3 players versus 10 players. The result: two trophyless seasons for Real Madrid, compared to five titles for Barcelona. 🔥✅

Florentino Pérez has become obsessed with stopping Lamine! The season before last, Carreras put in an excellent performance against Lamine, and Pérez went and signed him the following season. Last season, Cucurella delivered a huge game against Lamine, and Pérez went and signed him this summer. Lamine Yamal has driven old man Pérez completely crazy. 😭😂

We wanted Dumfries, Madrid moved for him. We wanted Bernardo Silva, Madrid moved for him. We wanted Cucurella, Madrid moved for him. Now we want Julián Álvarez, and suddenly Madrid are reportedly ready to throw €150M at Atlético after spending years acting like he wasn’t worth their attention. Two trophyless seasons can do strange things to a club. For years, Florentino Pérez acted like Madrid only chased “Galácticos” and never cared about what Barcelona were doing. Now it feels like every player linked with Barça immediately appears on Madrid’s radar. Maybe losing trophies hurts. Maybe watching Barcelona rebuild and still beat you hurts even more. But when every Barça target becomes a Madrid target, it starts looking less like recruitment planning and more like obsession.

The feeling of a coach like Hansi Flick seeing what he did with Raphinha must be unbelievable. Seriously, imagine taking a player who doesn’t have the typical qualities associated with elite wingers, yet somehow turning him into a Ballon d’Or contender. If Flick ever retires and gets asked about the greatest achievement of his career, I don’t think he’ll say the sextuple with FC Bayern Munich, the 2014 World Cup with Germany national football team, or even the treble with FC Barcelona. He’ll just say: “Raphinha.” Want to know why? Look at Raphinha under Xavi Hernández and with Brazil, then compare that version to the one under Flick. You’ll understand immediately. Honestly, the man works miracles. From Raphinha to Eric García, Gerard Martín, and Marcus Rashford, he’s the one coach who can turn ordinary ingredients into something special. 🧠

Kvaratskhelia had a great season with PSG, but the way people compare him to Messi’s PSG spell feels inconsistent. Messi’s “weaker” PSG season in 2023 still produced elite numbers: 18 goals 19 assists in 28 games (37 goal contributions), and 50 goal contributions in 39 games across the full season. Overall at PSG: 75 games, 34 goals, 38 assists (72 G/A). Yet many still judge that period as underwhelming, while similar or lower output from others gets praised differently. The issue isn’t performance — it’s perception. Messi raised expectations so high that excellence became normal, and normal was suddenly treated as “not enough”. Even in a limited tactical role at PSG, he remained among the top creators and playmakers in world football. Bottom line: even “less Messi” still outproduces most players at their peak.

“Pedri can’t perform in big games.” The big games Pedri has played since breaking into Barcelona’s first team, where he delivered either a good or outstanding performance: - vs Juventus 2021 (outstanding) - vs Paris Saint-Germain 2021 (outstanding) - vs Bayern Munich 2022 (outstanding) - vs Inter 2022 (outstanding) - vs Real Madrid, 2023 Spanish Super Cup Final (outstanding) vs Atlético Madrid, 2023/24 first leg (outstanding) - vs Napoli, 2023/24 first leg (good) - vs Paris Saint-Germain, 2023/24 first leg as a substitute (outstanding) - vs Bayern Munich, 2024/25 (outstanding) - vs Real Madrid, 2024/25 first leg (outstanding) - vs Borussia Dortmund, group stage (good) - vs Atlético Madrid, 2024/25 first leg (outstanding) - vs Real Madrid, 2025 Spanish Super Cup Final (outstanding) - vs Benfica, group stage (outstanding) - vs Benfica, Champions League first leg (outstanding) - vs Benfica, Champions League second leg (outstanding) - vs Atlético Madrid, 2025 Copa del Rey first leg (outstanding) - vs Atlético Madrid, 2025 Copa del Rey second leg (outstanding) - vs Inter Milan, 2025 first leg (outstanding) - vs Real Madrid, 2025 second leg (outstanding) - vs Newcastle United, 2026 group stage (outstanding) - vs Paris Saint-Germain, 2026 group stage (good) - vs Atlético Madrid, 2026 La Liga first leg (outstanding) - vs Real Madrid, 2026 Spanish Super Cup Final (outstanding) - vs Atlético Madrid, 2026 Copa del Rey second leg (outstanding) - vs Newcastle United, 2026 Round of 16 first leg (outstanding) - vs Real Madrid, 2026 La Liga second leg (outstanding) This is the record of a player in big games, yet people reduce him to just two poor performances against Atlético Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final and ignore everything else.

I can’t even imagine the level of fear opponents would feel facing this Barcelona attack 🔥 - Lamine Yamal is already terrifying on the right wing. - Gordon offers high quality both on and off the ball and would do an outstanding job on the left wing. - Raphinha loves playing through the middle and attacking spaces, so he would thrive in the attacking midfield role behind the striker. - If we sign Julián Álvarez, you’re talking about a natural goalscorer who also creates space for his teammates to attack the box and score. That would be a frightening attacking quartet. And on top of that, they all bring tremendous intensity when pressing. If Barcelona manage to sign Álvarez, they’ll be a nightmare to play against because they’ll win the ball back quickly and immediately launch attacks with all that quality. That combination would make them incredibly dangerous.

All the current reports claiming that Barcelona have a genuine interest in Barcola seem completely illogical to me. Putting Barcola’s quality aside—which nobody really disputes—we need to look at the situation realistically. It is extremely difficult to imagine a player of his value and price joining Barcelona unless there is a major departure in the same position. The most obvious name that could open the door for such a move is Raphinha. But that’s where the problem lies. Raphinha simply has no reason to leave. He is comfortable at Barcelona, enjoying the best period of his career with the club, recently renewed his contract, and has an excellent relationship with Flick, who clearly considers him one of the key pillars of his current project. That is why the idea of signing Barcola under the current circumstances makes little sense from either a sporting or financial perspective. We are talking about a player who would cost a huge fee, while the same position is already occupied by an undisputed starter who has no intention of leaving and whose coach is fully committed to him. For that reason, I believe most of these reports are nothing more than the usual media links. There may be admiration for the player’s abilities or an interest in monitoring his situation on the market, but turning that interest into a real transfer is a completely different story.

The board’s decision to renew Ferran Torres’ contract is very logical, even if his performances in the final part of the season were very poor and his contributions were almost nonexistent. At the end of the day, we need to separate a player’s form from his contractual situation. Simply put, you can’t allow a player whose contract is close to expiring to leave for free next season, especially when that would represent a loss for the club in every possible way. Besides that, Torres posted good numbers throughout the season, particularly when coming off the bench. In several games, he provided exactly what was needed and contributed with important goals. That’s why I believe renewing his contract is the right decision. Not because Ferran deserves to be a starter, but because having him as a squad player can be very useful for the team. And once the club signs a new striker, having someone like Torres on the bench will give the attack greater depth and more options.

If Raphinha had been wearing a Morocco shirt today, we would have seen the same Raphinha we know from Barcelona. This Brazil side looks passive. There’s little pressing, little aggression, and too many players waiting for the ball instead of fighting to win it back. Meanwhile, Morocco played with intensity from the first minute, pressed all over the pitch, and barely gave Brazil any time to breathe. That’s exactly the type of football Raphinha thrives in. His biggest strengths are his work rate, pressing, and ability to attack immediately after winning possession. When the collective structure isn’t there, many of his qualities become much harder to showcase. And that’s where Ancelotti deserves criticism. Once again, his team looked vulnerable against an organized side that was willing to press and dominate phases of the game. We’ve seen similar patterns throughout his career: opponents create chances, control periods of matches, and often look tactically superior, but individual brilliance usually bails his teams out. When the collective intensity and structure are missing, the flaws become much more visible.

I genuinely can’t understand how a coach managing a national team the size of Brazil can have João Pedro available and still leave him out of the squad in favor of a slow, ineffective striker like Igor Thiago. João Pedro would have been a million times better in almost every aspect, especially when it comes to mobility, flexibility, dribbling, and he would have also been a much better finisher. It’s a very strange decision, honestly. Ancelotti keeps proving that he is overrated. Any team that comes up against Ancelotti’s sides can dominate possession and create chances, even lower-table La Liga teams. We saw it happen repeatedly at Real Madrid. His teams often struggled to control games consistently and were frequently outplayed for long stretches. The main reason for his success has always been the extraordinary individuals he had at Real Madrid. Prime Vinícius, Rodrygo, Modrić, Kroos, Cristiano Ronaldo — they were the real driving force behind his achievements as a coach.

What happened today in the Switzerland vs Qatar game was absolute madness! The Swiss players genuinely won’t be able to sleep after that ending. Switzerland completely dominated the game from start to finish—to the point where almost the entire match was played in Qatar’s defensive third! And imagine this: Switzerland fired 26 shots, accumulated 3.24 expected goals, created 6 big chances, and were leading 1–0 all the way until the 94th minute. The win seemed guaranteed! Then Qatar went crazy in the final attack. Defender Boualem Khoukhi rose highest and scored a stunning header in the 94th minute to equalize, while the Qatari fans erupted in celebration and Gulf music echoed around the stadium! The Qatari people will never forget this moment. Qatar has officially made history and earned its first-ever point in World Cup history. A legendary scenario for Al Annabi ❤️.

Honestly, I’m always surprised by debates about which national team has the best midfield in the tournament, or people comparing Spain’s midfield to Portugal’s. Spain have: - The best No. 8 in the world, Pedri. - The best defensive midfielder in the world, Rodri. - A two-time consecutive Champions League winner, Fabián Ruiz. - Mikel Merino, arguably the best box-crasher in world football. - Pablo Gavi, who, without injuries, would already be considered one of the best No. 8s in the world, with outstanding quality both on and off the ball. And that’s without even mentioning Dani Olmo, the Euro top scorer and one of the best players in the world at operating between the lines. There’s simply no real competition with any other midfield in the tournament. Having Pedri and Rodri alone already puts Spain in a different category. And take it from me: any team that faces Spain, no matter who they are, will spend 90 minutes chasing the ball. Even if Spain field their backups, that’s the result of having players who are so well-developed technically and tactically.

The idea of seeing Simeone’s son running up and down the pitch relentlessly in the 90th minute without showing any signs of fatigue, and doing it for the team you support instead of against Barcelona, is absolutely brilliant and doesn’t get nearly enough appreciation.

When Dembélé left Barcelona, everyone was asking who could possibly replace him. Even though he was inconsistent and constantly injured, people still felt there was no real alternative. Then Lamine Yamal emerged, carried the team, helped bring us back to the top, and achieved more than Dembélé ever did during all his years at the club. With Nico Williams, everyone thought Barcelona had finally found the perfect winger after Neymar’s departure. But the deal collapsed, and instead Raphinha transformed into a terrifying version of himself, achieving things that Williams might never have managed to achieve here. It always seems to happen this way: a player leaves, or a transfer falls through, and then an unexpected solution comes along and succeeds beyond anyone’s expectations. The same could happen now. Bernardo Silva’s move failed despite all the efforts to complete it, but in return, Ibrahima Tounkara could get his chance. And who knows? Maybe he’ll end up being even better and more useful for us. Sometimes what looks like bad luck turns out to be a blessing in disguise.

Yesterday, Barcelona’s medical staff were surprised by Gordon’s near-perfect injury record. During his medical examination, the doctors discovered that he has never suffered a major muscular injury throughout his career. The injuries he has had were only minor, and he has missed just 19 games since making his professional debut. What also stood out was that Gordon relies more on flexibility and recovery work than on weight training. He combines that with exceptional pace and outstanding endurance, allowing him to maintain a high intensity from the first minute to the last without showing signs of fatigue. That’s why Flick and the coaching staff are extremely pleased with him and see him as an excellent signing. 🔵🔴

What the United States did today is the literal definition of dominance! The U.S. national team crushed Paraguay 4–1 in a match that proved they are the strongest team at the World Cup so far. Pochettino has literally built a fantastic team. His 3-2-5 shape was outstanding: Dest and Robinson were used as wide full-backs stretching Paraguay’s defense, while Pulisic and McKennie operated as inside wingers, making direct runs into the spaces between the full-back and center-back. What makes it even better is that Pochettino understands the nature of the American player: physically strong, aggressive, and comfortable attacking space. He has created a system that maximizes those qualities, getting them to goal with fewer touches and giving them freedom to interchange positions, all within a clear tactical framework. A magnificent opening performance from the tournament hosts. 👏❤️