Barcelona star missing from group training after demanding World Cup opener | OneFootball

Up to 16 FC Barcelona players have been called up by their respective national teams to play in the World Cup 2026. Most of these players have already opened the campaigns, while some are still waiting for their national team’s matches in the first round of group stage.

The winger Raphinha was the first Blaugrana player to play in this World Cup, as he started for Brazil in their opening game against Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw. This was quite an entertaining game, one of the best in the competition so far, as both of these sides are aiming to go far in the tournament.

However, these games also take a lot of physical toll on the players, and Raphinha was visibly affected by the effort he put in this game. As the game ended, he was seen collapsed on the pitch, exhausted after playing the full 90 minutes.

As a result, SPORT notes that he was one of the three players who trained on the sidelines of the group, as the Brazilian national team did not want to take any risks with him. Meanwhile, the Selecao also assured that this was only a cautionary measure, and the forward is not suffering from any injury.

The Barcelona winger was joined by Gabriel Magalhaes and Bruno Guimaraes, as they stepped on the pitch latter than the rest of the squad, and carried out lower intensity work, aimed at avoiding injuries.

After drawing their first game, Brazil have their next game scheduled for Friday, 19th June, against Haiti. The Canarinha would be particularly keen to win this game to keep their campaign on track and to ensure their progression to the next round of the competition.

For this purpose, they would not be taking any risks with Raphinha, who remains one of the key parts of Carlo Ancelotti’s team, and any developments with the Barcelona star would be keenly followed by his club and country.