Watch: Barcelona midfielder’s emotional reaction after receiving World Cup call | OneFootball

For Barcelona midfielder Gavi, the announcement of Spain’s World Cup squad was the reward for months of sacrifice, pain and relentless work behind the scenes.

The young Spaniard became emotional after learning that Luis de la Fuente had included him in the squad for the tournament. 

After spending much of the season battling his way back from a serious knee injury, the moment carried enormous emotional weight inside Barcelona’s training ground.

Watch Gavi’s reaction

One of the most touching scenes came immediately after the confirmation, when Gavi warmly embraced the physiotherapists who had supported him throughout the difficult recovery process.

Those close to the midfielder know just how hard he pushed himself in recent months.

He aimed to recover in time, regain match rhythm and convince De la Fuente that he could still play an important role for Spain at the World Cup. 

That determination became one of the driving forces behind his recovery.

Despite suffering two major knee setbacks in a relatively short period, Gavi never lost the confidence of the national team coaching staff.

Within the Spain setup, as confirmed by the coach himself, he is viewed as a unique player because of his mentality, intensity and competitive character.

Gavi reaping rewards

The Barcelona midfielder only returned to action on March 15, meaning the timeline to regain full fitness before the World Cup was extremely demanding.

Gavi deserves to be at the World Cup. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Every minute he played towards the end of the season became part of a carefully managed plan involving Barcelona’s medical staff, coaching team and fitness specialists.

Hansi Flick and his staff played an important role in helping the youngster gradually rebuild confidence while avoiding unnecessary risks.

Although Gavi featured in only 13 matches this season and accumulated just over 700 minutes, the priority was always physical readiness rather than immediate overload.

As a result of his planning, Gavi is physically capable of handling full matches again, something he has already demonstrated against Real Betis and Valencia.