I’m going to take my time with this one. If you’re busy, save this post and read it later. If you’re a night owl like me, this is a good late-night read. Do you know the worst thing about Cristiano Ronaldo? It’s that he set the standards for what defines a legend… and in the end, he couldn’t even live up to the standards he created himself. After winning Euro 2016, Ronaldo said: “You can’t become a legend until you win a trophy with your national team.” It was an obvious dig at Messi. Argentina had just lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany, and Messi was going through the toughest period of his international career. Those words only added fuel to the fire. Where was the respect for a rival, Ronaldo? The surprising part was that social media completely embraced that narrative. Messi was labeled a bottler, while Ronaldo was declared the winner of the rivalry—at least in the media, not on the pitch. Then Messi retired from international football, came back, won the Copa América, and suddenly they were level in major international trophies. What happened next? Ronaldo fans started saying that one Euro is worth more than a hundred Copa Américas, claiming there was no competition in South America. Not true—but that became the excuse. Then Messi went on to win the World Cup. This time, the excuses changed again. They claimed FIFA had fixed the tournament for Messi. That the World Cup was scripted in his favor. They simply didn’t know what else to say. Then Ronaldo himself came out with one of the strangest quotes imaginable: “A legend’s career can’t be defined by just seven games.” At first glance, it sounds reasonable. But beneath it was another attempt to diminish what Messi had achieved. Before the World Cup, they insisted it would be Ronaldo’s tournament. On paper, Portugal had a fantastic squad. If the manager couldn’t get the best out of them, that’s Portugal’s problem—not Ronaldo’s. Yet that same Portugal squad wasn’t any weaker than the Argentina team Messi led to the 2014 World Cup final—the same team people mocked Messi for not carrying to the title. Just a couple of days ago, Ronaldo said: “The World Cup doesn’t define my career, whether I win it or not.” A statement that directly contradicts what he had said years earlier, when he admitted that winning the World Cup would make him feel completely fulfilled. Now you’re 41 years old, Cristiano. By your own standards: * You have 5 Ballon d’Ors, not 8. * You have one European Championship, not two Copa América titles. * You never won the World Cup. * You have four European Golden Shoes, while Messi has six—even though you’re an out-and-out striker. So what now? Will you keep playing until the next World Cup and become the first player to appear in one at 45, hoping to finally win it? If we judged you by the standards you created, you wouldn’t qualify as a legend. Of course, nobody actually judges you that way. Everyone still recognizes you as one of football’s greatest legends. The real mistake was comparing Ronaldo to Messi in the first place. That rivalry was exaggerated from the beginning by the media and figures like José Mourinho. Messi conquered every major trophy available to him, shattered records that once seemed untouchable, and at 39 years old he’s still competing with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland—the stars of the next generation—for the Golden Boot. And honestly, he could still win it. What made Messi beloved by so many fans is that he never tried to diminish Ronaldo’s achievements. Ronaldo, on the other hand, repeatedly made comments that many interpreted as attempts to downplay his greatest rival’s accomplishments—and that’s never an admirable trait. Cristiano helped create a generation that thinks belittling other people’s achievements while constantly glorifying your own is a way to establish dominance. Good bye. Ronaldo.

The 2025 Clásico at the Bernabéu. The first half ended goalless, with everything pointing towards Real Madrid having the upper hand after the break. But Frenkie de Jong’s introduction into the midfield changed the game completely, turning it on its head as Barça went on to win 4–0. This was one of Frenkie de Jong’s greatest performances, right up there with his legendary Copa del Rey final.

I try to convince them to spend less time playing video games and focus more on exercising their minds. I ask them questions that spark their curiosity and make them think, and I encourage them to read. I try to keep them away from these things as much as possible. Before games, I make a point of asking them a question that requires some thought, so they don’t get too caught up in the game and give their minds a chance to think about something different. These are Rodri’s words today about what he does with Barcelona players in the dressing room and before every game. No wonder Flick considers him part of the coaching staff and a leader without the armband. We’re so lucky to have a player with one of the best mentalities to join this club in years.

Piqué used to cook Madrid both on and off the pitch.

The last Clásico we played against Real Madrid at Camp Nou ended with us beating them with this lineup and securing our 29th La Liga title. And now you genuinely think Hansi Flick will accept defeat when he has an even stronger squad at his disposal, with the likes of Rodri, Lamine, Raphinha, Adeyemi and Gordon? My only real concern is the defence. Other than that, everything points towards Barcelona completely dominating Real Madrid, both in performance and on the scoreboard. 👋

Hansi Flick is already preparing for the most entertaining part of every Clásico. During today’s Barcelona training session, Flick split the players into 2 groups and had them work on possession and passing instead of their usual high pressing. Every time Barcelona win a Clásico, one of the most satisfying things to watch is what happens in the final 10 minutes: humiliating Real Madrid by keeping the ball away from them in front of their own fans and the entire world. It looks like Flick enjoys that moment just as much as we do, which is why he’s already preparing his players for it. 😂

The highest possession percentage in El Clásico history. Barcelona 71% 🆚 Real Madrid 29%. This wasn’t a friendly. It was a Champions League semi-final. Real Madrid completed just 127 passes. 🥶

The look of pride and love in Antonela’s eyes as she watches Messi 🥹❤️

It’s good for Real Madrid to head into El Clásico with high confidence after winning their last 4 games, scoring 4 goals in each of them. That means they’ve scored 12 goals in their last 3 matches. A defeat, if it happens, would bring back the doubts surrounding them. For Barcelona, on the other hand, it’s good to enter the game without being considered strong favourites to win. Some people argue that Barcelona sacrificed the PSG game for El Clásico, pointing to the lineup Flick selected and the tempo at which the team played. Well, El Clásico will help us determine whether that’s true, not through the result itself, but through Barcelona’s intensity and overall performance. In France, I saw players walking around the pitch, lacking the passion and desire to win. If we see passion, fighting spirit and relentless running against Madrid, it will only strengthen the argument that Barcelona sacrificed the PSG game for El Clásico.

Gordon has to start against Real Madrid and give absolutely everything on that pitch. He needs to run nonstop, keep making attempts and do whatever it takes to make an impact. He needs to show the same confidence and fighting spirit he had at Newcastle. He has to prove himself and make people forget the disastrous performance he delivered against PSG, arguably the worst of his entire career. He still looks like he can’t quite believe he’s playing for Barcelona, but it’s time to take responsibility. On Sunday, he needs to give everything against Real Madrid and prove that he belongs here. Otherwise, if he continues playing with that hesitation and lack of confidence, he belongs on the bench, with Adeyemi starting in his place.

Nico Schlotterbeck Alphonso Davies Two signings that could take Barcelona to another level in Europe. Winning the Champions League is extremely difficult without a complete squad. We need a world class centre back and an elite left back to strengthen our defence. Imagine having Schlotterbeck at centre back and Davies at left back. We’d have a much stronger team and a real chance of competing with Europe’s best. I hope the board does everything possible to sign both players. These are exactly the kind of signings Barcelona need to compete for the Champions League.

The Gordon and Cancelo partnership has clearly failed, but that doesn’t mean either player is bad. Both have their strengths, but the real problem is that their profiles clash on the pitch. Gordon isn’t a winger who naturally moves inside to occupy central spaces. He wants to receive the ball out wide, then either drive inside with it or take it down the line to deliver a pass. The problem is that Cancelo has almost exactly the same tendencies. He also likes receiving the ball out wide and moving into those same spaces, which leaves one of them unsure where to move or what role to take up. Flick has found a way to manage this tactical issue. Gordon rarely starts when Cancelo is at right back, with Adeyemi usually playing ahead of him instead. When Gordon starts, Espart plays behind him, providing a more complementary partnership and better balance in their attacking movements. That’s why I’m almost certain Adeyemi will start against Real Madrid in El Clásico. Cancelo is likely to be the right back, and Flick needs two players whose profiles complement each other rather than overlap in the same spaces.

El Clásico is about much more than just 3 points. It’s a golden opportunity to take an early grip on the title race and open up a massive 9 point gap over our strongest rivals! Especially with Atlético Madrid away at the Metropolitano waiting just one game later, which will certainly be another difficult test. If Barcelona can take all 6 points from El Clásico and Atlético, we’re talking about a 9 point lead over Real Madrid and an 8 point lead over Atlético, all while we’re still only in Gameweek 12! That kind of cushion would give the team breathing room to compete in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, while allowing Flick to rotate the squad as much as he wants without the pressure of dropping points in La Liga. These aren’t just ordinary games. They’re title defining battles. Win them, and we could put ourselves in a position to focus on the Champions League for the rest of the season!

Imagine playing a Champions League game against the tournament favorites, and the debate is between your 2 most important players, both born in 2007 and no older than 19. La Masia has reached a terrifying level.

This is the PERFECT ending to the GREATEST career ever.

After the San Siro game, Inzaghi praised De Jong without even being asked about him. He said everyone focuses on Lamine Yamal, but he believes De Jong is no different in quality. Luis Enrique also praised him without being asked, saying De Jong is the kind of player every coach dreams of having and that he is on the same level as Vitinha and Pedri. Ten Hag did everything he could to sign him. Pep Guardiola wanted him at City, and Nagelsmann previously asked Bayern to sign him. Koeman considered him the Messi of the Netherlands. In his first season at Barcelona, Valverde tried De Jong in almost every position just to keep him from being left on the bench. La Masia players look up to him as an example of what it means to be a star. Even Enzo considers De Jong his role model. De Jong’s return is the key to solving so many of our problems.

Barcelona have secured their coach for at least the next 10 years, if not even longer! According to recent reports, especially over the past couple of days, the club wants to stick with Hansi Flick until he decides to leave. You might ask, what’s new about that? Well, remember Fàbregas, the man who beat United 4-0 and told his players to slow things down after the fourth goal? He is reportedly the club’s plan for the job after Flick. What’s even more impressive is that Barcelona are already planning beyond Fàbregas, with Busquets being viewed as the man for the third era. The club are already watching him in his role as an assistant coach within Barça’s youth setup. They believe his ideas reflect the club’s identity and that, with time, experience and the necessary coaching qualifications, he could become the man to lead that third era. While other clubs plan one or two seasons ahead at most, Barcelona are planning for an entire era.

Anthony Gordon, the same winger, against the same team, PSG. Why can he press so aggressively, get stuck into duels, and look so comfortable and effective on the ball, yet look so nervous, lost and soft when he faced PSG with Barcelona?

Imagine Rodri standing against Real Madrid in El Clásico, wearing a Barcelona shirt, after being just one step away from joining them. Madrid fans and newspapers had already started drawing up their tactics around him. Real Madrid initiated the negotiations and were the favourites to sign him. But the moment Barcelona contacted Rodri, everything changed. He made his decision without hesitation and chose Barça. Madrid fans were left in shock, seeing it as a major failure for their club. But the real shock is yet to come when Rodri humiliates them at the Camp Nou and makes them taste the bitterness of losing him on the pitch.