Barcelona midfielder Gavi shares heartfelt message after World Cup glory: ‘I owe a great deal to everyone at La Masia’

Barcelona midfielder Gavi shares heartfelt message after World Cup glory: ‘I owe a great deal to everyone at La Masia’ Spain’s historic FIFA World Cup triumph continues to produce unforgettable moments, and Barcelona midfielder Gavi has now shared one of the most emotional stories to emerge from the celebrations.  Just hours after helping Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, the 21-year-old reflected on his remarkable journey from a young footballer in Los Palacios to a world champion. The midfielder shared a heartfelt social media post, where he thanked the people who influenced his career while looking back on the sacrifices that helped him reach football’s biggest stage.  Gavi reflects on World Cup dream Following Spain’s victory over Argentina , Gavi shared two photographs that perfectly captured his football journey.  One showed him playing as a youngster for La Liara Balompie in his hometown of Los Palacios, while the other featured him kissing the FIFA World Cup trophy after Spain were crowned world champions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by GAVI (@pablogavi) Accompanying the images was an emotional message that quickly resonated with supporters across the football world. “May no one wake me from this dream – the dream of a boy from Los Palacios who dreamed of winning the World Cup with his country…” The Barcelona midfielder also reflected on the setbacks he overcame before reaching the pinnacle of international football.  After battling injuries during his young career, Gavi admitted that every difficult moment had been worthwhile as he celebrated becoming a Spain World Cup winner at just 21 years of age. Barcelona and La Masia receive special mention Gavi made sure to acknowledge everyone who helped him along the way, explaining the role his family, close friends and former clubs played in his development. Gavi has thanked everyone who influenced his career. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) The Spanish international thanked Real Betis, where his football journey began, before reserving special praise for FC Barcelona and La Masia, the academy that helped transform him into one of Europe’s brightest midfielders. “I owe a great deal to everyone at La Masia who welcomed me from day one, and to the coaches and staff at FC Barcelona, who helped me grow as a footballer and as a person, and enabled me to become a world champion,” he wrote. The Barcelona academy graduate also dedicated part of his message to his grandmother, thanking her for “that extra strength you gave me over the last few months.” Although Gavi was not a regular starter during the tournament, he still contributed whenever called upon by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente.  The midfielder played 76 minutes across the competition, including a start against Cape Verde and a late appearance in the knockout victory over Austria.