Fermín López left Barcelona on June 1 as the breakout star of the season alongside Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí and will come back as the star of the Paris Olympic Games. At 21 years and 86 days old, the young Barça player is wrapping up his first elite season in a remarkable way. His progress has been clear since he caught the public’s attention with that goal against Thibaut Courtois, the top goalkeeper in the world, during the Clasico on July 30, 2023 in the United States. Now, twelve months later at the Games, he is proving to be the most impactful player in the tournament. Just like Lamine Yamal, the La Masia teenager who shined and won the European Championship as a standout for La Roja at 16 and 17, becoming the best young player in the competition, Fermín is also showing that he thrives on the big stage. “Now, aiming for the gold,” he declared after scoring his fourth goal in the Olympic tournament in the semi-final against Morocco, adding two more in the quarter-finals against Japan. He is now in the final, set to play on Friday against the host France, being praised as “the king of Paris”. Once again, similar to the four European Cups won by the Spanish team and the only World Cup they have claimed, the success of the Spanish team is incomplete without the undeniable contribution of players developed in La Masia, with Fermín being the latest example.
Even though his role in the Euros was mostly symbolic, Fermín is aiming to add to the title he won in Germany by winning an Olympic gold medal, where his leading role is undeniable. He has often been the standout player on his team, helping them out of tough situations, like in the matches against Japan and, especially, against Morocco in the semi-final under challenging circumstances. Fermín is proving to be a player who thrives on big stages and challenges, not relying on past expectations, which are often exaggerated in other cases. In this sense, he is reminiscent of Pedro Rodríguez. He also shows rebellion against adversity, like Eto’o, and has a strong belief in his ability to score goals, much like Luis Enrique in the latter part of his career. Many times he has outperformed expectations, rising rapidly from the bottom: just over a year ago, he was playing in Linares for Primera RFEF, where his 12 goals and 4 assists caught the eye of Xavi Hernández, earning him a spot in Barça’s first team. As a versatile player, he has been the most decisive midfielder in the opposition area for Barça, scoring 11 goals in 42 official matches and playing 1,900 minutes: 8 in the League, 2 in the Champions League, and 1 in the Copa del Rey.
Fermín is capping off an impressive year at the Paris Games: he has already scored 16 goals between Barça and various national teams, and he believes in his ability to score from long range with either foot. Not only that, he runs, presses, assists, and his energy is contagious.
In the final against France on Friday, Fermín has the opportunity to surpass Kiko Narváez’s five goals for Spain in the Olympic gold medal match in Barcelona in 1992. The young Barça player is the youngest to score and assist in an Olympic qualifying match since Neymar Jr. in 2012. His impact in scoring, the most challenging aspect of football, is evident in the numbers: with four goals and two assists, he has been involved in six of the 11 goals scored by Santi Denia’s Olympic team.
Except for the Euros, where he barely played a moment against Albania, Fermín has scored in all the competitions he has played in this unforgettable season for him. His highlights are impressive, but the best thing is almost everything else, starting with that contagious ambition. He is sometimes criticized for lacking pause, but blessed is his excitement given what has been seen since Xavi made him debut in an official match against Villarreal in LaLiga 2023-2024, and he ended up scoring a goal with his second touch of the ball. From there, a goal at the Bernabéu in the Clasico of the League and his emergence in the eyes of the world in these Olympic Games in Paris that already have their “roi”. “The most important thing remains to get the gold,” he said after his display against Morocco, with the definitive goal and assist. Another Fermín returns to Barça, although the essential thing is that he remains the same.
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper
