🚨 It’s all agreed… Fabrizio Romano has confirmed everything. Barcelona have reached a full agreement with Rodri on all personal terms and contract details. Rodri and his agent have both given the green light to the move. That means the hardest and most important part of the deal is done. The only step left is reaching an agreement with Manchester City, and that should be the easier part given the excellent relationship between the two clubs. City were reportedly just waiting for Barcelona to enter the race before letting the deal move forward. The mission is underway. The “Here We Go” is closer than ever, and the best defensive midfielder in the world is on the verge of becoming a Barcelona player. 💙❤️

In these happy times, I’d like to thank those who made them possible. When Koeman chose to take the risk of playing Frenkie de Jong despite his knee injury, and De Jong agreed to it before returning to Barcelona with a long-term injury… It turned out to be the best thing they ever did, because it pushed Barcelona to move for Rodri. Thank you, Koeman. And a special thank you to De Jong. After seven years at Barcelona, you finally proved useful. Thank you, the worst thing the Netherlands has ever produced. ❤️

Gavi cut his vacation short and returned to training today. He was originally scheduled to return on August 12, six days from now. I honestly feel sorry for Gavi. He’s only 22 years old, yet it feels like he’s already a veteran who’s been through so much. He played during Barcelona’s toughest period under Koeman, then Xavi, suffered multiple injuries, and even tore his ACL. More than anyone else, Gavi is the player I want to see return to his best, keep improving, and truly shine again. He’s the player I’m most excited to watch develop this season. He most likely cut his vacation short because he wants to work harder and make sure he’s ready to help cover Frenkie’s absence.

Julián Álvarez is every Barça fan’s dream signing. He’s also the player so many inside the club want to see wearing the Barcelona shirt. Barcelona have stayed committed to him from the very beginning, refusing to seriously move on to another target. We’ve waited a long time for this deal, and with only a month left in the transfer window, the hope is still alive. After everything that’s happened, if the transfer doesn’t go through, it would be a huge disappointment. What makes this story even more special is that it’s not just the fans who want him. Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Cubarsí, and several other Barcelona players have all named Julián Álvarez when asked who they’d most like to see join the team. That alone tells you how highly he’s regarded within the dressing room. Hansi Flick wants him. The fans want him. The players want him. The board have made him their priority. Julián Álvarez isn’t just another transfer target, he’s the signing that many believe could take Barcelona to another level. 💙❤️

The only player I truly felt sorry for in today’s Portugal vs. Croatia game was Luka Modrić. Imagine playing the last World Cup of your career, your team completely outplaying Portugal, creating chance after chance, while you’re still solving difficult situations in midfield at 40 years old. Then imagine Portugal scoring the winner in the 94th minute, and Croatia scoring twice afterward… only for both goals to be ruled out, including one in the 103rd minute because the ball barely touched a Croatian player’s hair. The two pictures say it all. In the first, Modrić looks heartbroken after Portugal scored in the 94th minute. That’s football—it happens. In the second, after Croatia’s last-second equalizer was ruled out, he was so shocked that he just started laughing like a madman. Modrić experienced one of the cruelest possible endings to an international career. The only comfort is that he finished his international journey as the winner of the World Cup Best Player award, a recognition he fully deserved. Farewell, Luka Modrić. ❤️

If Barcelona move forward with the Barcola deal, it will be completely separate from the striker signing. Barcola’s arrival would only happen if Raphinha leaves. Everyone knows Barcelona have struggled to sell players in recent years. Right now, the club appears to be pushing Raphinha toward the exit through the media, with reports from Sport and Mundo Deportivo linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia. Barcelona have reportedly received an €80 million offer from Saudi clubs and are trying to raise it to €100 million. Raphinha’s recurring injury problems, along with the fact that he’ll soon be entering his 30s, are seen as valid reasons for the board to seriously consider a sale. We’ll soon find out whether that strategy works.

It looks like Atlético Madrid are finally starting to give in. Since Julián Álvarez’s comments, the club has reportedly been split. CEO Gil Marín, backed by Apollo, is against selling him to Barcelona because it would make Atlético look unable to keep their stars. Meanwhile, Mateo Alemany believes it’s better to sell a player who wants to leave than force him to stay and create problems. Now, Sport reports that Atlético are finally open to discussing a sale—but only on their own terms. That’s the key step, because it means negotiations can finally begin. If Atlético play hardball, Álvarez is expected to increase the pressure. Atlético’s demands are clear: €150 million, non-negotiable, paid in full, with no players included in the deal. Barcelona have been waiting for this moment for over a month. Hopefully, Sport got this one right. 🙏

Before the World Cup started, I kept doing the math, wondering how Messi could overtake Klose and become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. He needed four goals, and with Mbappé in the race too, it felt like a huge challenge. All I wanted was to see him break Klose’s record. Then the tournament began… Messi broke Klose’s record in just two games and immediately started chasing even greater milestones: - Most direct free-kick goals in World Cup history. - Most goals scored from outside the box in World Cup history with six. - The first player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup games. At this point, nothing surprises me anymore. It’s Messi.

The biggest liars in football history: Lionel Messi: “I don’t know if I’ll play at the 2026 World Cup. It’s difficult. Age catches up with everyone, and the body doesn’t forgive.” Cristiano Ronaldo: “I’m back.”

After France defeated Argentina at the 2018 World Cup, BBC Sport wrote: “The beginning of Kylian Mbappé’s era and the end of Lionel Messi’s.” What followed was the exact opposite. Messi went on to win: - The World Cup, defeating Kylian Mbappé’s France in the final. - 2 Copa América titles. - The Finalissima. - 4 league titles. - 3 Ballon d’Or awards. - 3 FIFA The Best awards. - 2 Laureus World Sports Awards. - The European Golden Shoe. - And on top of all that, he produced one of the greatest individual seasons in football history in 2019. Eight years after that headline, Messi even left Europe, giving their golden boy, Mbappé, every opportunity to dominate and finally win the Ballon d’Or. It still didn’t happen. Then, at 39 years old, Messi returned to the biggest stage at the World Cup in the United States and took the tournament’s Golden Boot ahead of him. They tried to put limits on a man who has never had any.

Let’s be logical. Croatia beat Ghana, and both teams officially qualified. If Portugal had beaten Colombia, they would have faced Ghana, an African team just like the one Messi is about to face, and Ghana would also have been on Argentina’s side of the bracket. But Portugal bottled it because they play with a striker named Cristiano. And keep in mind, Colombia were missing six of their regular starters. Now you’ll say, “Are you really comparing Colombia to Austria, Jordan, and Algeria?” My answer is: you were the ones who kept saying that the teams Messi beats in the Copa América are weak and easy, using that to downplay his two Copa América titles. So now, all of a sudden, Colombia is a strong team? Find a different excuse. And yes, Messi is FIFA’s golden boy. He’ll win another World Cup thanks to “controversial refereeing decisions,” he’ll win his ninth Ballon d’Or after playing just eight games, and if you don’t like it… well, that’s your problem. 😭

I’ve said it before the World Cup, and I’ll say it again: Ibrahim Maza is special. With 12 successful dribbles, he finished the group stage as the player with the most completed dribbles. But what impresses me even more is everything beyond the stats. He’s still very young, yet his understanding of positioning, link-up play, receiving with his back to goal, carrying the ball through tight spaces, and connecting the lines is exceptional. He can play as a classic No. 10, as an interior midfielder helping build attacks, or as an inverted winger drifting inside. That kind of versatility and football IQ at his age is incredibly rare. If you asked me which player I’d bring to Barcelona if they ever decided to move on from Dani Olmo, my answer used to be only Rayan Cherki. Now there are two names on that list. I have a feeling Bayern Munich will try to sign him sooner rather than later. And if Barcelona ever parts ways with Olmo, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ibrahim Maza becomes one of their top targets.

Scaloni revealed after the game that Messi actually asked him to keep him on the bench against Jordan. Scaloni told him that playing the full 90 minutes would have been another great chance to boost his incredible numbers. But Messi chose something else. He wanted the players who hadn’t featured yet to get their minutes so they’d be ready for the knockout stages. Scaloni even said that Messi doesn’t think about the records people keep talking about. That’s exactly what I said before the game. Messi saw that some of his teammates hadn’t played yet, so he was happy to stay on the bench and let them experience the biggest tournament of their lives. His own statistics didn’t matter to him. That’s the kind of player he is. He never chases records—records chase him.

No team at this World Cup made me feel worse than Iran, honestly. Can you imagine they had to travel from Mexico before every single game because they weren’t allowed to stay in the United States due to political reasons? On top of that, they couldn’t even recover properly after matches like the other teams. The playing field simply wasn’t level. Now imagine scoring a 96th-minute winner against Egypt, celebrating like you’d just qualified, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside by the smallest of margins. In an instant, the dream of qualification was taken away. And it didn’t stop there. Until the 93rd minute of the Algeria vs. Austria game, Iran were going through as one of the best third-placed teams because Algeria were leading 3–2. But in the 96th minute, Austria equalized, and just like that, Iran’s qualification disappeared again. That minute must have been the most heartbreaking moment of their lives. And please, stop blaming Algeria. They weren’t playing for Iran—they were playing for Algeria and millions of Algerian fans. If Algeria had lost, they would’ve been eliminated. If Austria had lost, they would’ve been eliminated too. Both teams had everything to play for, so expecting either of them to ease off or hand someone else qualification was never realistic. Every national team has one responsibility: fight for its own country. Iran’s elimination was heartbreaking, but it wasn’t Algeria’s fault—it was just the cruel side of football. It felt like football just wasn’t on their side from every possible angle. I honestly don’t know how they’ll ever forget this World Cup.

How many hundreds of times have we watched Messi? How many nights have we stayed up just to watch him play? How many times have we seen the same celebration, the same free kick, the same magical left foot? That’s Messi’s greatest miracle: the love he planted in our hearts. Or maybe a better way to describe it is our “memory of love.” Every one of us has a memory of love. And for so many football fans, the moments that fill it are tied to Messi. That’s why we don’t want anyone else to take his place.

Look, I’m not gonna roast you like everyone else because you haven’t even played for us yet, and we all know England’s style is nothing like Barcelona’s. But can you explain something to me? Harry Kane scored. Bellingham scored. Saka got an assist. Anderson got an assist. Rice got an assist. Even Rashford scored. I’m not asking you to dribble past five players or be elite one-on-one. All I want is one scrappy deflected goal so I can shamelessly flex on my friends. 😭

Why are the culés treating Kroupi like he’s some unknown or Serie C-level player? Kroupi has literally been one of the best players in the Premier League this season. He’s incredibly clean on the ball, technically gifted, and I’ve followed him closely—I’ve been really impressed. If Barça can’t sign Julián, then Kroupi would be a fantastic alternative. He’s a top talent with huge potential, definitely not an unknown player. His quality on the ball is comparable to Álvarez’s, and off the ball he’s just as energetic, aggressive, and constantly on the move.

The comeback Pau Cubarsí made over Dean Huijsen deserves to be studied. In the space of just one year, Cubarsí went from being on the bench behind him against France and Portugal to becoming an untouchable starter for the Spanish national team. Now he’s been one of the best players at the World Cup so far, while Huijsen is watching it from home. A truly remarkable turnaround by Pau Cubarsí—I honestly never imagined he would completely flip the situation like this.

What Messi is doing at the World Cup is genuinely beyond words. Argentina had already qualified, so Lionel Scaloni decided to rest Messi on the bench against Jordan in what was essentially a meaningless game. But in the 60th minute, he brought him on. What happened next? Messi scored Argentina’s third goal with the free kick you see above, becoming the player with the most direct free-kick goals in World Cup history, with two. And that’s not all. Messi also became the first player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup games. As if being the tournament’s all-time top scorer with 19 goals and the player with the most goal contributions with 27 wasn’t enough, he added another record that feels almost impossible to replicate. Just think about it: a 39-year-old is currently the top scorer of the World Cup with six goals. Messi is literally artificial intelligence. ❤️