Fermin Lopez’s Journey: From World Cup Heartbreak to Champions League Hope

For Fermin Lopez, this was supposed to be the summer when everything came together. Instead, it became the one he now calls “the worst of my life.”

At his peak, flying for Barcelona and firmly in the Spain conversation, the midfielder saw it all collapse with one cruel twist of fate. An injury. A World Cup gone. A dream ripped away just as it felt within reach.

The emotional toll hit harder than any tackle. Speaking to Catalunya Radio’s Tot Costa from Barça’s pre-season camp in England, Fermin admitted he couldn’t even bring himself to watch the start of Spain’s World Cup campaign.

“I didn't watch the first few matches of the Spanish national team in the World Cup. I couldn't. I wanted to be there at the World Cup,” he said, laying bare the rawness of those weeks. The tournament that should have been his stage became a reminder of what he’d lost.

He shut it out. The TV stayed off. The games passed him by.

Only as the tournament neared its climax did something shift. The pain eased, just enough. The pull of the game, of his teammates, of the shirt, dragged him back.

“Towards the end of the World Cup, I felt a bit better and decided to go see the final live in New York,” he explained. From refusal to even tune in, to sitting in the stands for the biggest match of all – it was a personal turning point as much as a sporting one.

He insists there was no bitterness, only pride, once he could finally face it.

“Let me make it clear that it made me very happy to see my teammates win the World Cup,” he said. The hurt was personal. The joy was collective.

Behind the scenes, the battle was far more brutal than anything on a pitch. Months of rehabilitation. Repetition. Doubt. The endless cycle of treatment, gym, recovery, and the quiet moments where questions creep in: Will I get back? Will I be the same?

“You learn from these situations, but it's true that I've had a really tough summer,” Fermin admitted. “I've gotten through it thanks to my family, my partner, and my friends. I needed help. I already had it before, but my coach has helped me a lot to get through it.”

Now, at last, there is light.

Fermin is back in the thick of it, working closely with Hansi Flick’s squad in the United Kingdom as Barcelona sharpen up for the new season. The ball is at his feet again. The rhythm is returning.

And crucially, the pain is gone.

“I'm feeling better every day. I have no discomfort, which is important,” he said, sounding like a player who has started to trust his body again. That simple phrase – “no discomfort” – is often the real milestone for an injured footballer. It means freedom.

He already has a date circled in his mind: the Joan Gamper Trophy.

“If everything goes well, I could play a few minutes in the Gamper Trophy match,” he revealed. It might only be a pre-season showcase, but for Fermin it represents something far bigger – the first real step back into the spotlight, in front of his own fans, in his own stadium.

“The intention is to come back from this injury with even more motivation. I think I'm very ready. I've already shown how I can help Barca, and I have to continue doing the same next season.”

That line is telling. This is not a youngster simply grateful to be here. It’s a player who feels he has already proved he belongs, and is determined to push that ceiling higher.

Around him, Barcelona are entering a pivotal season. A new coach in Flick, a group that has grown together over the last three years, and expectations that remain sky-high. Fermin is not shying away from any of it.

“The dream of winning the Champions League is shared by the whole team,” he said. “We've closed the last two years. This season could be a good one. We've been playing together for three years and have experienced a lot. I feel we're ready to win the Champions League.”

That’s not the language of cautious rebuilding. That’s a direct challenge to Europe.

Domestically, the bar is already set almost impossibly high. Two league titles in a row bring their own pressure. A third would be a statement of dominance.

“Winning a third consecutive league title is difficult. It will be a tough year. But if we're focused on our game and united, we can win a third league title.”

From refusing to watch his country on television to talking openly about conquering Europe and defending La Liga again, Fermin’s summer has swung from despair to defiance.

The injury took his World Cup. It didn’t take his belief. Now comes the real test: can he turn the worst summer of his life into the season that defines his career?