Spain make touching gesture to injured Barcelona midfielder ahead of World Cup final

Spain make touching gesture to injured Barcelona midfielder ahead of World Cup final Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez will travel to the United States to support Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final despite missing the tournament through injury. The aforementioned gesture comes from the Royal Spanish Football Federation, who are determined to recognise the players who helped the team qualify. According to Mundo Deportivo , Fermin will be at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for Sunday’s showdown with Argentina after receiving an invitation from the RFEF, despite being ruled out of the World Cup by a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot . The 23-year-old was considered part of Luis de la Fuente’s plans before suffering the injury against Real Betis during the 2025/26 season, making his absence one of Spain’s biggest setbacks before the tournament began.  Fermin Lopez will travel to the United States. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) While he has been unable to contribute on the pitch, the Barcelona midfielder will now have the chance to support his teammates from the stands as they bid to become world champions. Spain ensure Fermin remains part of the World Cup Fermin’s injury ended his World Cup dream before it had even begun, but the Spain international has remained closely connected to the national team throughout the competition. The outlet reports that he will travel to the United States alongside Alvaro Morata, with the pair joining the Spain delegation before the final against Argentina. The Barcelona midfielder is expected to reunite with several club teammates who have played key roles in Spain’s run to the final, including Joan Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal. RFEF recognises players who helped Spain qualify Fermin Lopez missed the World Cup through injury. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) The invitation is part of a bigger initiative by the RFEF to acknowledge the contributions of every player involved in Spain’s qualification campaign. Alongside Fermin and Morata, several internationals who featured during qualifying but did not make the final World Cup squad have also been invited to New Jersey, including Alex Remiro, Aleix Garcia, Daniel Vivian, Pablo Fornals, Pablo Barrios, Samu Omorodion, Robin Le Normand and Jesus Rodriguez. The federation also plans to welcome members of Spain’s historic 2010 World Cup-winning squad, creating a symbolic link between the country’s only previous world champions and the current generation attempting to lift the trophy again. On that note, former Spain and Barcelona icons Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Pepe Reina are all expected to attend the final in New Jersey.