Depending on the results of the team with which you feel most identified, you interpret the reality of the World Cup. Sentimental loyalties are structured from evolutionary philias and phobias. The culés are lucky to have contributed to the World Cup a multitude of players of different nationalities, which allow us to adapt to a varied repertoire of reactions. The rules of the game are clear: the culé condition prevails over the others, which are complementary and compatible.
The advantage of Barcelona is that it is ecumenical in adherence and rejection. Are you a culé supporter of the Spanish team? You have compelling reasons to follow her: retroactive sympathy for Luis Enrique (who forgets how much you couldn't stand him when he was coaching Barça) and the desire that Ansu Fati, Eric Garcia, Gavi, Busquets, Alba, Pedri, Balde and Ferran Torres succeed. And when Spain is eliminated, then you can think that Barça is doing well, because that way they won't suffer as much risk of injury or arrive squeezed.
Are you a culé detractor of the Spanish team? You celebrate that it is eliminated. Beyond, you have other possibilities of sympathy. In the first phase, Denmark (Christensen), Poland (Lewandowski), Brazil (Raphinha), Germany (Ter Stegen) or Uruguay (Araújo) and the Netherlands (De Jong and Memphis). In the most compromised phase, you have France, with Koundé and Dembélé and, therefore, you can celebrate that they win as an incentive to return with the desire to succeed. Or they get removed only to then have to work hard to prove they're not packages. All the results suit you and, if you ask, you can celebrate that Modric is giving himself a memorable World Cup because, of all the Madrid players, he is one that you can respect without betraying the visceral anti-Madridism that the tribe demands of you.
And what do we do with Morocco apart from verifying that it has a dimension of symbolic representation of an emigration that, as the coach Walid Regragui said, superimposes the country of origin on a notable variety of countries of adoption? We have Abde, on loan to Osasuna. Finally, there is Argentina. What relationship should a culé have as God commands with Messi's Argentina? In a hypothetical France-Argentina final, should the desire for Koundé and Dembélé to triumph or the link with Messi prevail? On a trading table, do two French headlines equal one Messi? In fact, many culés want Messi to win and for the enthusiasm, desire and leadership that he has shown up to now to be rewarded.
Total: Barcelona fans have direct links to three semifinalists and an indirect one, Modric, with the fourth. The most vicious culés have also had the possibility, out of devotion to Guardiola, to encourage all the Manchester City players spread over various teams (Portugal, Belgium, Argentina, England...). And I know that, incredible as it may seem, there were also particular Barcelona supporters of a victory for the Netherlands not out of complicity with De Jong and Memphis, nor out of dogmatic devotion to the Cruyffista Holy Grail but out of sympathy with (dramatic pause) Van Gaal.
