Fermín López speaks like a player who has no intention of waiting his turn.
The Barcelona midfielder, one of this season’s revelations at the club, laid bare his ambition and mentality in an interview with Tot Costa on Catalunya Ràdio, touching on everything from the World Cup to the Champions League, from personal frustration to transfer noise.
This is a young footballer who already sees the biggest stages as his natural habitat.
World Cup dreams and a taste for trophies
Asked about the 2026 World Cup, Fermín didn’t bother hiding his belief.
“The truth is, I do see myself there. There’s still a bit of the season left, but I’m really happy to be here, and hopefully I can make it to the World Cup.”
There was a lightness to his words, but the targets he set could not be more serious.
“Hopefully we’ll win the Champions League and the World Cup.”
No caveats. No shrinking of expectations. For a player still at the start of his top-flight career, the bar is already set at the very top.
Barcelona’s title charge and European push
Barcelona sit four points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga and are into the Champions League quarter-finals, where Atletico Madrid await. From inside the dressing room, Fermín sees a wide-open race, but one in which Barça have earned their place among the contenders.
“There’s no such thing as favourites.
“We’re in a good moment in La Liga and the Champions League. Many teams can win it, but hopefully it will be Barcelona.”
The message is clear: respect for the competition, conviction in his own team. No complacency, but no inferiority complex either.
A breakout season, with room to grow
On a personal level, Fermín recognises the scale of his own leap this year. This has been his most complete campaign as a professional, and he knows it.
“After everything I’ve been through, I think I’ve improved a lot, and this year I’ve taken a step forward. I’m helping the team a lot, and they’re helping me too.”
He doesn’t pretend to be the finished article.
“I still have things to improve” because “I’m very young.”
The balance is striking: self-confidence without self-satisfaction. He sees the progress, but he also sees the gaps.
Fire on the pitch, clarity off it
That demanding nature surfaced recently when cameras caught him visibly angry after being substituted. In an era where every gesture is dissected, Fermín moved quickly to explain the moment.
“Physically, I’m in great shape; I try to take care of myself.
“I got angry because I’m very hard on myself. It’s not about the coach or the teammate coming in; it’s about me.”
He stressed that there was no internal conflict behind the reaction.
“It’s a spontaneous moment, and we don’t want to disrespect anyone.”
That edge, that refusal to be satisfied with “good enough,” is part of what has carried him into Barcelona’s core rotation. The key for him is to keep it channeled.
Clásico, Atletico and the art of suffering
With a crucial Clásico looming and Barcelona holding that four-point cushion over Madrid, Fermín’s focus is sharp.
“We hope to be in top form that day and to win the match.”
No talk of avoiding defeat. He goes straight to winning.
Attention then turns to Europe, where Atletico Madrid stand between Barça and a Champions League semi-final. Fermín underlined how much the squad has taken from recent setbacks on the continent.
“We’ve learned from our mistakes and will have a strong series.
“I think we’ve learned that sometimes we have to suffer, just as there are moments in the game that we control.”
It’s a mature reading of knockout football: control when you can, endure when you must.
Loyalty under pressure
Last summer brought a different kind of test. Interest from Chelsea and the possibility of a move away from Barcelona created a tense, uncertain period for a player still trying to establish himself.
“It was a bit complicated; I felt a lot of pressure, but I never wavered. I couldn’t say anything.”
The noise around him grew, but his stance did not change. He stayed. He fought for his place. Now he is living the season he imagined.
A young midfielder, a club in transition, titles on the line and a World Cup on the horizon: Fermín López has made his intentions unmistakable. The question now is not whether he believes he belongs at that level.
It’s how far, and how fast, he can drag Barcelona there with him.
