HIGHLIGHTS

Gavi has joined up Spain’s squad ahead of the EURO 2024 final to help boost the morale of players.
The 19-year-old has a bright future with high potential, but missed out on this summer’s showpiece tournament through an ACL injury.
Gavi’s absence highlights his importance to Barcelona and Spain, despite the latter being potentially just 90 minutes away from their fourth European Championship.

Barcelona’s 19-year-old sensation, Gavi, has recently become Spain’s unofficial 27th-man at EURO 2024, with the injured midfielder jetting over to Germany to be with the squad ahead of their final showdown against England on Sunday night.

Had he not suffered a terrible knee injury in November, which tore his ACL and damaged his meniscus, Gavi would have been one of the 26 members of Spain’s squad. Nevertheless, while he won’t be featuring in the Berlin tie, he will be in attendance, having been invited by the Spanish Football Federation to attend the showpiece event as a special guest of Luis de La Fuente.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: At just 18 years and 110 days, Gavi became the youngest ever Spanish player to play at a World Cup in 2022. With his remarkable volley against Costa Rica, Gavi also became the youngest Spanish scorer and the third-youngest scorer in World Cup history.

David Alaba, Frenkie De Jong, Serge Gnabry and Gavi will all miss Euro 2024 through injury

Gavi Joins Up With Spain Squad To Boost Morale

Luis de la Fuente hopes his presence can inspire Spain against England

Per The Sun, Gavi’s presence at the final of the competition is part of a ploy to boost morale among Spain’s players for their match against England. The 19-year-old was welcomed by De la Fuente and Spanish FA president Pedro Rocha, with footage shared on social media showing him arriving at the team hotel.

Ahead of the match kicking off, Gavi was then seen on the pitch deep in conversation with his teammates, as they took in the atmosphere before kick off. While he will play no part in proceedings at the game, he will no doubt be involved in the celebrations should Spain record a famous victory against the Three Lions.

Gavi’s Bright Future

The Spaniard has a high ceiling

Regardless of his current predicament, Gavi’s skill is simply beyond his years and shows that Spain are in good hands for years to come. He was a crucial component in La Roja’s 2023 Nations League win, yet it’s through his absence that football’s purists really get a sense of the 19-year-old’s gift.

After tearing his ACL against Georgia, Barcelona fans almost ended up at loggerheads with the national team. With Xavi mourning the loss of his team’s “heart and soul” in the midfield, it’s no wonder that the star has a contract with Barcelona until June 2026, which also contains a release clause of €1billion. He is also among the best midfielders in world football, despite not even being 20 just yet.

Gavi’s Barcelona statistics so far

Games
114

Goals
7

Assists
14

Honours
La Liga, Spanish Super Cup, Golden Boy Award