Hi everyone
we’re here with The Players Tribune.
We’re going to do an interview-contest, you’ll see what it’s all about.
We're here with Thiago, Bartra, Jordi Alba and Busi.
We’re going to talk about the experiences each has had in their first World Cup,
and how they remember that experience.
— Let me think.
No, well,
the first thing is that you won, I couldn’t be there but it was incredible.
I was on a trip but I’d see all the games
I wasn’t home but honestly it was spectacular,
both at the level you played — also like Busi says,
your first game didn't go as people expected even though, you know ...
you lost but you played a great game.
And in terms of the World Cups,
maybe the one in Korea I remember as well where Spain was ...
unfairly penalized,
but I would say those two World Cups, both the negative and the positive.
— Personally, South Africa’s in 2010 was spectacular because of everything that happened,
from doing badly to doing better, with a lot of problems in the beginning
but with a spectacular final.
— I was in Barça B, but we were teammates.
And seeing you play ...
the best tournament in the world, in a championship,
the best one there is in the world, and on top of that you won it, the celebration, everything.
Each game you suffered so much and struggled to win it.
I think that gives me goosebumps. Seeing you there enjoying it and being successful doing what we enjoy.
— My dad being a champion in ’94.
But I don’t remember any games because obviously I was too young.
But I remember — I don’t know why —
when they returned to Brazil, the celebration at home with all our relatives.
I don’t know why I remember that.
It was obviously a time full of joy.
And then of course in ’98 we lived in Brazil,
I remember that in that moment I was rooting for Brazil,
my father had been a world champion,
so I was rooting for them.
But those are the first memories that I had of a World Cup, the best competition that exists in football.
— And when was the first time that you were called up to the national team?
What was that moment like? When you find out that you’re in the national team.
Then, the experience when you arrive, who were the teammates that …
I don’t know, closer to you that helped you adapt to the national team?
— I remember that I didn’t miss out being in any list because I knew wasn’t going to be in any
or I thought I wasn’t going to be in any.
But I was in the shower. I was taking a shower.
And all my teammates came to tell me that I had been called up.
I didn’t believe it at first until I saw the list, then yeah, honestly it was a great joy.
And also there were players I had coincided with at Barça or were mostly from Barça.
I knew you two.
Also, I didn’t know people like Cesc, Xavi, Iniesta but they were from home and it was an incredible experience.
— We went together.
— I was about to tell you we went together
that we found out right after training and the delegate came to tell us.
And then we had a photo-shoot, interviews.
— We had a press conference.
— Honestly it was an unforgettable experience that we shared.
And as teammates, the ones that were at Barça.
I’ve had an interesting career.
I didn’t play in the youth national team, I didn’t know many players.
I played two games with the U-21, so almost everything was new for me.
And for teammates, the ones from Barça, there was a lot of them.
— Mine was interesting as well because ...
I had been playing since the U-18, climbing up and whatnot,
but the moment the senior team arrived I think after the World Cup, they gave the list but I wasn’t there.
Out of nowhere, I was at home and the delegate called and …
Cesc wasn’t going I think, and they still took me as a defender.
I told her —
— You went with the number 10, right?
— I told Vicente that if he took me with the number 10 that ....
— It was the game, where was it?
— It was in South Africa, right?
Honestly when they told me it was number 10, I’d rather — I said, “Give me the —
— In Guinea, right? The first game.
— Yes, in Guinea, yes, yes.
— And it didn’t count because there was a substitution that didn’t count, I’m not sure what it was —
— I put on the number 10 as a defender and ...
the referee was from the same country, I think,
and when you’re from the same country you have to agree beforehand.
well, it was a beautiful moment, you know,
but then 10 minutes in they told me it didn’t count —
Let me experience this, then we'll see.
— That can only happen to you.
— Yes, yes. That was it. I'll tell it anyway.
— I had been playing in the youth team and the natural process is: you play in every category
and suddenly you’re in the U-21 about to take that step into the senior team.
You know it's coming, but when it comes it’s …
it’s like, “Damn, I’m there, man.”
I mean, you came from having achieved big things and you get there and say,
“Damn, world champions, world champion, European champion, champion of this.
I’m going to have to do something different to be able to play in the midfield.”
So in the end, even now when you’re training, playing,
it’s a gift being able to be here,
not just because of the football, but also to play with teammates who have so much quality.
I think it’s a unique moment
a beautiful moment, but it’s also very hard to keep it up. But your first call up is great.
— What do you expect from the World Cup?
Do you think there’s going to be a team that’s going to be the surprise and it’s going to play a good World Cup?
How do you see the team? Are we favorites or is there another team that’s even more of a favorite?
— I think as of today there are three, four, or five teams that are —
I think they can perform at a high level, and they can be the favorites in the end.
Spain is one of them if we’re —
if we keep playing along the same lines.
But there are also other teams like Argentina, Brazil, even France.
I think there are a lot of good ones this year.
— Any surprise team?
Like Iceland or one of those teams that can….
— Well for those, what do you think?
— Belgium is a team that has been to the World Cup many times but has never given —
never played an important semifinal or a final.
Yes, they have good players.
So, it seems like they’re not a candidate but at the same time they are.
— And you?
We’re going to win it again, or what?
— Man ...
Do you have a World Cup?
— Ooh! That question!
That got him!
— No, no, no. But it’s true that you have to give me that World Cup.
— He’s been in the Euro Cup. Have you been in the Euro Cup?
— I went to the one in France.
— No, that you’ve won.
— Oh, not won.
— Well it’s time.
— You have to give me the only title I’m missing. You have to give it to me.
— You also have to contribute your small grain of sand. In the end we all have to….
Yeah, if they give me the opportunity to play, yes.
— What fake modesty.
— False modesty!