Argentine international striker Julián Alvarez, who is of interest to Barcelona, will return to Atletico Madrid's roster to face Villarreal, in the second stage of the Spanish Football League, on Sunday, according to what his coach and compatriot Diego Simeone confirmed on Saturday.
Simeone said in a press conference: “Julian? Yes, he will be on the list of players called up tomorrow, and he is in better condition. Of course, he is still in the process of regaining his readiness, like all his colleagues.”
The Argentine striker is Barcelona's first target, to replace Polish Robert Lewandowski, but Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin considers Alvarez an unsellable player, and refuses to transfer him to his Catalan rival.
Alvarez was absent from Atletico's squad in its first match in the Spanish League against Malaga on Wednesday, after playing a limited number of training sessions following his late return from vacation, three weeks after losing the 2026 World Cup final to Spain.
The 26-year-old striker was subjected to boos from the fans of the Metropolitano Stadium, and some fans directed insults at him, against the backdrop of his declared desire to leave the club.
Simeone had confirmed at the time that he had the “utmost respect” for the team’s fans, but he clarified on Saturday that he did not support in any way directing insults or disrespect to the former English Manchester City striker, whom he still considers a pivotal player in his ranks.
The Argentine coach said: “Julian is a very important player in achieving the goals that we set for ourselves as a team. “We need him, and we will take care of him.”
On the other hand, Barcelona coach, German Hansi Flick, refused to address the issue of Alvarez, after he was asked about the player three times, stressing that he did not want to talk about players belonging to another team.
Spanish midfielder Rodri, winner of the 2026 World Cup and Barcelona's most prominent signing during the summer transfer period, is still not ready to return to competitions, and will not accompany the team to Elche on Sunday at the start of its campaign in the Spanish Football League, according to what its German coach, Hansi Flick, confirmed, who at the same time praised the efforts of the Egyptian newcomer Hamza Abdel Karim.
Flick said in a press conference: “Rodri? He has trained individually in the gym and on the pitch, and is very focused on what he has to do. The plan is for him to join group training on Monday. “He is a great player, a leader, and has a very special personality.”
Rodri, who joined Barcelona last Monday, won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, and was chosen as the best player in the 2026 World Cup, which he won with Spain this summer. But he was unable to participate in the preparatory period with Manchester City after he underwent “minor surgery” in the back in late July.
The 30-year-old midfielder may play his first minutes in the Catalan giant's shirt next week against Athletic Bilbao.
On the other hand, Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo, who permanently moved to Barcelona after two loan periods during the last three seasons, is expected to be “ready to play” against Elche on Sunday, according to Flick.
As Barcelona continues to search for an outright striker to replace the departure of Polish Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, the German coach refused to talk about Argentine Julián Alvarez, praising in return the abilities of the young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim, 18 years old, who topped Barcelona's top scorers during the summer preparation period with four goals. Flick said: “Hamza had a very good preparation period. He's a real forward, still young and has great potential. In addition, he scored goals, which is the most important thing when you play in this position. He did an excellent job.”
The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf) has asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino not to attend a junior tournament, in the latest sign of deepening divisions resulting from his attempt to sell a share of the World Cup, Sky News has learned.
Infantino was informed in a letter sent to him on Friday from the football leadership in the region that his attendance at the tournament in the Dominican Republic over the weekend would “undermine” children’s matches.
The FIFA president, who is facing increasing pressure, arrived on the island in the Caribbean Sea on Friday. He dealt lightly with questions directed to him by “Sky News” regarding the crisis affecting the International Federation, and he also remained silent about his future.
While Infantino received a reception from local politicians, the President of the North American and Caribbean Football Association informed him that he was not welcome in the Caribbean Football Association Under-14 Championship.
It is understood that the invitation was sent to Infantino before officials learned of secret plans to try to sell shares in a new World Cup project to private investors, plans that sparked anger within the CONCACAF region after they were leaked last month.
Sky News learned that Canadian Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, wrote to Infantino on Friday, explaining that the “governance crisis” caused by the plan “will unfortunately greatly divert attention from the technical nature of the Caribbean Confederation’s junior competition,” in light of the media focus on the crisis.
Montagliani, who also serves as Vice President of FIFA, told Infantino: “I respectfully ask you, in the name of football, to reconsider your attendance, because it will unfortunately undermine the technical nature of this important activity for the development of youth.”
FIFA was asked to comment on the matter.
Video clips posted on social media showed local officials expressing their honor at receiving Infantino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
FIFA provides millions of dollars in funding for football development projects in the country, and a large percentage of this money comes from the revenues generated by the World Cup.
Two weeks ago, CONCACAF signed a joint letter with the European and Asian Football Confederations, in which they asked Infantino to leave his position.
The continental federations confirmed in their letter that there was a “fundamental violation of trust” after Infantino surprised football officials with plans to sell 20 percent of the World Cup to private equity investors.
She added in her speech: “When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the group that has entrusted him with power, then that duty has been abandoned.”
