FC Barcelona have unveiled their away kit for the 2026/27 season, developed together with Nike and the Kobe brand. The new shirt represents the second chapter of a growing collaboration that highlights a shared competitive mindset.
The shirt and the entire collection combine a black base with a gradient fading into purple at the bottom, along with gold details and graphic elements linked to Kobe Stealth, the identity of the Kobe Bryant brand.
Among the standout details are a print inspired by snakeskin texture, the FC Barcelona crest with an iridescent finish, the Kobe logo on the chest, and a Kobe Bryant quote hidden inside the collar that captures the 'Mamba Mentality': "Leave the game better than you found it".
The launch campaign features players such as Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie De Jong, Alejandro Balde, Ewa Pajor and Patri Guijarro, among others.
The garment has only been presented as a commercial product; its official debut on the pitch has not yet been confirmed. It will arrive during pre-season, coinciding with the first-team's opening fixtures.

#bryant #shirt

Frenkie de Jong's injury update earlier this week confirmed that the player would miss a big part of the opening of the new season, as he has ruptured the medial collateral ligament of his knee.
The development comes as a massive blow to Hansi Flick's plans, for De Jong has proven to be instrumental as a starter alongside Pedri in recent years for the club.
Having the club captain out to yet another injury blow, needless to say, leaves the club in a relatively tricky situation with only Pedri, Gavi and Marc Bernal left as the options to play in the deep midfield.
Further, it makes the operation of Marc Casado's departure complicated too.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo now, Barcelona have no intention of changing their transfer plans after De Jong's injury and will rely only on internal solutions until he is back.

#pedri #frenkie

Former Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has on Thursday sent a message of congratulations the way of some of his ex-teammates in Catalunya's capital.
This of course comes after no fewer than eight members of Hansi Flick's squad were crowned world champions last weekend.
Owing to a 1-0 extra-time downing of Argentina, Spain emerged triumphant at the 2026 World Cup. Luis da la Fuente's ranks were packed with Barcelona players, with all of Joan García, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres having made the trip to North America.
The latter even notched the decisive goal in Sunday's final.
Spotted celebrating in the aftermath of Ferran's extra-time strike in New York was the aforementioned Robert Lewandowski, fresh off bringing a close to his Blaugrana stint earlier this summer.

#World #extra #hansi

When Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal lead their sides out at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday evening, they will be doing more than chasing a place in Sunday's final, they will be fronting the priciest collection of talent ever ****** embled for a men's World Cup semi-final.
Transfermarkt's latest figures value France's squad at roughly $1.78 billion (€1.56bn) and Spain's at $1.43 billion (€1.25bn), a combined total of around $3.2 billion (€2.8bn), which outstrips any previous last-four meeting in the tournament's history.
Much of that financial weight is concentrated in a handful of individuals.
Barcelona's Yamal, who turned 19 the day before kick-off, is the most expensive player left in the competition at around $234 million (€205m), with Mbappé close behind at roughly $211 million (€185m).
Michael Olise and Pedri follow, both valued at around $176 million (€154m).

Even though Spain have done well to reach the semifinals of this World Cup, beating the likes of Austria, Portugal, and Belgium in the process, it has not been a particularly impressive World Cup for Pedri.
The midfielder has faced criticism for his performances. Although he has been consistent as ever with his passing and movement, the creative output hasn’t been there, with Luis de la Fuente notably benching him in favour of Fabian Ruiz against Belgium.
Mario Suarez has backed Pedri amid criticism. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
In the midst of this criticism, Pedri has found support from former Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez, who made no attempt to hide his admiration for the Barcelona star.
“I have a soft spot for Pedri; to me, he’s the best midfielder in the world,” Suarez said (h/t Jijantes).

Affable and well-mannered, 65-year-old Luis de la Fuente is not a coach for hyperbole. In need of another moment of magic in the greenhouse of a stadium in Los Angeles, the Spain head coach threw on his ace in his pack. Two minutes later, Mikel Merino was a late-show match-winner once again, pouncing with a substitute spring in his step to overcome Belgium's resilient showing. Yet **** uming De la Fuente's words of wisdom for the midfielder were awe-inspiring would be misguided.
"The truth is… he told me very little," Merino said after his 88th-minute quarter-final winner on Friday, witnessed by his two-month-old son Marco. "He [De la Fuente] told me it's something about [being a] number 10. And then when the match ended, he told me I was incredible – and those were the two things he commented to me."
Merino has a habit of scoring in critical moments for his country; he scored the winner in the quarter-final win over Germany at Euro 2024. A year later, he was on the scoresheet in the mesmeric 5-4 Nations League victory against France and, obviously, he also notched the winner against Portugal last Monday. It speaks to Spain's depth upon depth of midfield talent – Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Pedri all featured before Merino on Friday – that the **** nal man is accepting of, without complaint, his role in the squad.
Yet Spain, as acknowledged by star player Lamine Yamal who – disconcertingly but also excitingly – is yet to fully fire despite flashes of magic, were not at their best in Inglewood.
"We didn't play very well but hey, we were right there with them and we held up well," said Yamal, who turns 19 on Monday. "I think if we had kept the ball a bit better, we would have created a lot more and been more dangerous."

Why is Pedri not starting vs. Belgium? Spain star benched for World Cup 2026 quarterfinal originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Spain have been in exceptional form at the 2026 World Cup and remain one of the favorites to win the trophy.
Luis de la Fuente's European champions have benefited from a largely settled lineup, not even conceding a goal in their progress from the group stage through to Friday's game against Belgium in Los Angeles.
This made the decision to bench Barcelona star Pedri for the match especially difficult to understand.
The Sporting News looks at Spain's starting lineup for this quarterfinal showdown and why Fabian Ruiz was preferred in midfield.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta is planning to travel to the United States if Spain defeats Belgium in Friday's 2026 World Cup quarter-final and secures a place in the semi-finals, reports Mundo Deportivo.
Should La Roja advance, they will play on Tuesday, July 14, in Dallas, where they would face the winner of the quarterfinal between France and Morocco, which is scheduled to be played today in Boston.
Spain's squad includes as many as eight Barcelona players. Indeed, Joan Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres are all part of Luis de la Fuente's squad.
With such a strong Blaugrana presence in the La Roja squad, the club president wants to attend the semi-final to support the players as they attempt to secure a place in the World Cup final.
Spain beat Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Mikel Merino. In the previous round, they had disposed of Austria with great ease.

The 2026 World Cup enters its most electrifying stage. The front pages of the world sports press are overflowing with optimism and anticipation ahead of quarterfinals that promise maximum tension, with the Spanish national team stealing all the spotlight in its imminent and thrilling clash against Belgium.
The Spanish press reflects an atmosphere of total unity and ambition ahead of the showdown with the Belgians. In Marca, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois builds up the pre-match by admitting the great quality of his rival: "Spain is always a favorite to win everything."
Meanwhile, youth takes center stage in Mundo Deportivo, where Lamine Yamal warns with tremendous maturity and optimism that his "great game is going to come."
For their part, belief in the dressing room is absolute; Sport highlights a forceful "We're going for the World Cup" from Pedri on its front page, while As crowns its cover with a stellar Unai Simón under the slogan "We came to win the World Cup."
Analysts agree: after eliminating Portugal, Luis de la Fuente's side feels invincible.

Anthony Gordon is perhaps the most traditional type of English winger. He's strong, fast, with an ability to whip a cross into the box and a work rate that goes toe-to-toe with Raphinha. He comes to Camp Nou with a hefty price tag, something that has made some fans skeptical, but there is a method to the madness. Firstly, Gordon is a younger, fitter and more intense variant of the profile Barca experimented with last season with Marcus Rashford.
Secondly, sheer pace in the final third is a trait Barcelona have lacked. While technically breaking down an opponent is the Barcelona way, the brute force of a fast winger will solve situations when tactically things get slow. Gordon has been clocked as one of the fastest players at World Cup 2026, hitting a top speed of 37.9 km/h.
What Gordon lacks in final product compared to Rashford, he brings in energy off the ball, a trait that fits the Flick system perfectly. This signing will need time to pay off. We might see Gordon struggling with fewer touches, and the more technical nature of La Liga compared to the Premier League, but that's what was said about Raphinha when he signed from Leeds. The good thing is that Gordon can be a real handful due to his physical nature in attack, an area where experienced Premier League forwards always stand out, especially when compared to La Liga's more technical forwards.
Last season, Raphinha missed many important games due to injury and one thing that could not be replaced in his absence is work rate. Barca without Raphinha looked toothless without the ball, with no leader in pressing. Gordon certainly brings that profile over Rashford. Any team that wants to compete for all ***** les needs the ability to replicate similar profiles when squad rotation is necessary. Gordon's work rate will be even more important when the calendar becomes dense as we move deeper into the season. This will also allow other forwards to be fresh and ready to go when the Champions League knockouts come around.
Another thing that is noticeable is that there were moments last season where, in Pedri's absence, Barca could not progress the ball forward with conviction. Having a ball-playing goalkeeper in Joan Garcia and a forward as pacy as Gordon can help in such situations.

Barcelona star Pedri was keen to make clear his appreciation for the talents of Paris Saint-Germain counterpart Vitinha on Tuesday.
This of course comes fresh off the two midfielders locking horns on the international stage yesterday evening.
After Spain and Portugal went head-to-head in the headline fixture of the round in the World Cup’s Last-16, the former ultimately emerged on the right side of a 1-0 result.
The aforementioned Pedri and Vitinha both featured from the off in Arlington, from their respective berths in the middle of the park.
Despite being considered two of the very best midfielders in world football, the pair actually largely struggled to impact proceedings over the course of the 90 minutes.

Spain are set to take on Portugal in the FIFA 2026 World Cup Round of 16 in what promises to be an absolute cracker of a game, at least on paper.
The game throws up a number of player battles, like Lamine Yamal vs Nuno Mendes and Pedri vs Vitinha, which are small subplots in the larger scheme of things.
If Spain are to have a good game against their neighbouring nation, they will need the Barcelona midfield star at his very best.
In an interview with AS, Pedri highlighted Hansi Flick’s influence at Barcelona, while also praising Vitinha and Lionel Messi.
The Barcelona midfielder explained how Flick has helped him feel more involved in the game.

Portugal and Spain face off this Monday at the AT&T Stadium in World Cup.
In their last fixture, Portugal won 2-1 against Croatia (World Cup 2026). In their last game, Spain won 3-0 against Austria (World Cup 2026).
The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 2-2 draw.
Portugal ( vs Croatia 2026-07-03): Diogo Costa, João Cancelo, Renato Veiga, Rúben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Leão
Spain ( vs Austria 2026-07-02): Unai Simón, Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Cucurella, Rodri , Dani Olmo, Pedri González, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Álex Baena

Former Barcelona star Thiago Alcantara has named his dream midfield trio and included Pedri in his selection.
Thiago was chatting with Rio Ferdinand and was asked to build his dream three-man midfield of current players playing today.
Pedri was the first name on Thiago’s list. He explained: “Pedri, the best midfield player for me in the world right now.
“When I was a player and played with him and when I was a coach now, I had the same feeling that I had with Andres Iniesta at that time.
“Of this plasticity while playing, like moving all the time in diagonal, and while you’re moving, you see what’s happening around you and taking the right decisions.”

Spain have won their first World Cup knockout game since the 2010 Final and guaranteed safe passage to this year’s Round of 16 thanks to a comprehensive 3-0 win against Austria in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon. La Roja saved their best performance of the tournament for the most decisive moment, playing a brilliant team game and brushing Austria aside with remarkable ease.
For all the legitimate concerns about Spain after a poor group stage, their performance today shows why they were such strong pre-tournament favorites: La Roja truly dominated from start to finish and were better in every phase of the game. Spain easily broke Austria’s famous high press with great passing and movement, dominated midfield and were ruthless up front, and finally looked like a real candidate to win it all.
Lamine Yamal was sensational in the first half, giving Konrad Laimer nightmares with one crazy nutmeg after another, and he deserved a goal but could not find the net. His second half was far more quiet, and he was clearly tired after the first 60 minutes. But his fitness levels are clearly improving, and he looks better and better as the tournament goes on.
Every Barça player who started was very good, with Dani Olmo continuing his excellent tournament and showing why he deserves to remain a starter for the rest of the World Cup. But two Blaugrana stars stood out: Pau Cubarsí was simply spectacular both defensively and as a passer from the back, and Pedri had without a doubt his best game in the tournament, playing the exact role he does at Barça and absolutely dominating the middle of the park.
But this was truly a collective show from Spain: every player in the starting XI was a 7 out of 10 or better, with special mentions to both full-backs, Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella, and Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored two more goals and was fantastic with his movement and link-up play in the final third.

There are two ways to watch young players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The first is the obvious way: wait for a clip to go viral, the jaw-dropping dribble, the goal that makes no sense, the pass that no one else seems to see, and then watch the player get bracketed into the global term: ‘wonderkid’.
It is easy. It is loud. It is expensive.
The second way is quieter. It asks who Barcelona can find before their market value skyrockets. It asks who is not fashionable but fits into the current scheme of things at the club.
Not who looks like a star in isolation, but who answers a question inside a team that already has Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi and a very specific way of playing football.

Current Botafogo coach, Portuguese manager Franclim Carvalho has become a Vasco target to replace Renato Gaúcho.
The information was first reported by Canal do TF and also by ge.
According to ge, Vasco director Admar Lopes has already met with Samantha Longo, who is serving as the club's legal intervenor, to discuss the matter.
The then-president of Vasco's SAF, Pedrinho, was removed from office on the 23rd following a decision by the Rio de Janeiro courts. That led to Samantha being appointed intervenor.
The expectation is that Admar and Franclim will meet this Friday (26).

Spain are currently preparing for their final group game of World Cup 2026 against Uruguay and will be hoping to top the group going into the Round of 32.
The match against Uruguay promises to be a tough affair and Barcelona star Pedri will have to be very careful.
Pedri has already picked up one yellow card in the tournament, against Cape Verde in Spain’s opener, and a second at this stage will bring about an automatic one-match ban.
Any player receiving two yellow cards across their team’s first three matches can be suspended for the first match of the knockout round. Yellow cards will then be reset after the group stages and again after the quarter-final stage.
Luis de la Fuente could decide to rest Pedri for the match, although that seems unlikely given his importance to the team.

Barcelona’s players dominate Luis de la Fuente’s side in the Spanish national team squad called up for the FIFA World Cup, but the contingent is still missing one big name.
While Joan Garcia, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Pau Cubarsi, and even Gavi and Eric Garcia received call-ups, the big name who was left out of the event was Fermin Lopez.
The midfielder’s exclusion from the competition, however, had nothing to do with the manager’s decision but an unfortunate metatarsal fracture in Barcelona’s final La Liga game. Had he been fit, he would have certainly been in the United States for the event.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo in a recent update, Fermin is not just any regular player who is not at the premier event but one of the biggest names missing out.
Fermin missed the World Cup through injury. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

After the heavy blow against Cape Verde, Spain are preparing major changes for the decisive match against Saudi Arabia. As Miguel Ángel Díaz reported on COPE, head coach Luis de la Fuente is planning to shake up the attack. The big new additions would be Lamine Yamal starting on the right wing and Dani Olmo coming into the starting eleven to face Saudi Arabia.
Despite the changes in attack, the coaching staff will not touch the engine room. Confidence in the midfield is total, and everything points to the trio of Rodri, Pedri and Fabián Ruiz staying in place. That rules out the option of dropping Pedri deeper to make room for other alternatives at the base of the play.
The big tactical question in this setup is the position Dani Olmo will occupy on the pitch. COPE’s ***** ysis suggests that the player will be deployed slightly toward the left wing. Although Olmo has not played in that role for some time, it is a position he has already filled successfully in previous tournaments with the national team.
This strategic decision will be boosted by Marc Cucurella’s excellent form at left-back. The Catalan wing-back was the standout player in the last match thanks to his attacking runs. The coach’s intention is to take advantage of the full-back’s forward surges to create deadly ***** es in attacking areas.

In the shadow of Tennessee’s Signal and Lookout mountains, 8-year-old Beckham balanced on a fence for more than three hours, gripping a handwritten note and waiting for Spain’s national team to emerge.
“I love you and I look up to you,” the note addressed to Pedri and Lamine Yamal read. “Thanks for coming to my city. I hope you win the World Cup.”
As the players ran onto the field, his eyes grew wide.
“Dad,” he whispered, “they’re real.”
The scene was equally incredible to his father, Jaxon McClure, a Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Chattanooga playing soccer with trash cans for goalposts, now coaches hundreds of local children and named his first child after one of the sport’s greatest stars, David Beckham.

Mexican fans surprised everyone with a huge turnout at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium to watch the Spanish national team face Peru in its final friendly before the World Cup.
One of the most applauded players was Pedri, who shone with the second goal of the night and ended up moved because the crowd chanted his name.
"It's always nice to hear them chant your name. I didn't know they had so much affection for me here, and it's very beautiful," he told the press after the match.
Likewise, the Barcelona player said he was happy with the result and accepted the great responsibility La Roja has after being considered a candidate to become world champion.

Rafa Yuste has hit back at Atletico following their social media messages last week in response to speculation about Julian Alvarez’s future.
Los Colchoneros put out several messages on X about trying to sign Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Raphinha and subsequently explained it was because they were very angry about the transfer talk regarding Alvarez’s future.
Yuste has been asked about the saga and said the posts were “in very bad taste.”
He went on to say: “At Barcelona we have a very clear way of acting as a club. I believe that education is paramount and, therefore, we must continue to set an example, myself first as president and down to the last member of the board of directors.”
Yuste also insisted that Atletico’s message will not affect Barcelona’s transfer plans, adding: “It doesn’t change our sporting policy at all, it has nothing to do with it. Deco is very clear about his sporting plans and will stick to them.”

Barcelona are planning to adjust Marc Bernal’s contract to match his growing influence in the first team, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Bernal spent the 2025-2026 season gaining ground under Hansi Flick. He started the year working his way back from a severe knee injury that sidelined him for a while, but the 19-year-old midfielder eventually won a starting spot in the double pivot in midfield. A leg injury and a later ankle sprain halted that momentum, but his form still earned him a spot on Luis de la Fuente’s reserve list for the senior national team, even if he is slated to stay with the under-21s during the FIFA World Cup.
While his fortunes have been on the upswing, things have gone differently for fellow academy graduate Marc Casadó. Flick promoted both players during the 2024 preseason tour of the United States to cover for Frenkie de Jong, but Casadó has since dropped out of favor. In fact, he faces a potential exit to help fund a move for Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva.
Bernal, meanwhile, became untouchable in midfield. He even added a goalscoring threat to his game, netting five times in all competitions, including a brace against Atlético de Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals and a close-range finish in the 7-2 UEFA Champions League thrashing of Newcastle United.
However, according to MARCA, the manager has told Bernal he needs to take another step forward and fight for his place again come next season. The manager will have plenty of options in midfield, including De Jong, Gavi, and possibly, Bernardo Silva, to partner Pedri in the midfield trio.

Yes, the stats for Enzo Fernández and Pedri in the 2024/2025 season are largely accurate. Enzo’s 6 goals, 7 ****** ists, 6.13 xG, and 6.22 xA align closely with sources like FBref and Sports API, with minor xG/xA variations (e.g., xG 5.91–6.1). Pedri’s 4 goals, 5 ****** ists, 2.18 xG,

Pedri has had a strong 2024/25 LaLiga season, recording 62 key passes, just outside the top 10 (10th place has 67). His performance earned him the LALIGA EA SPORTS Player of the Month award for April 2025, showcasing his playmaking ability at 22 years old. Some sources report up