Castelldefels, 2006. “Come on, Dani, Messi is here, do you want to take a photo with him?” Miquel Olmo asked his son, who was kicking a yellow ball against a wall of the municipal field. The surprise was that he said no. Flat out. It wasn’t out of shyness, it was that what he wanted was to keep playing. Reluctantly, he went to the stands, sat next to the Argentine, who had just turned 18 but had already won two Leagues with that Barça of Rijkaard and Ronaldinho and a Champions League, and took a photo with a rather unenthusiastic face that today is a treasure. Proof of this is that he has it framed in his house.
Maybe back then Messi was already thinking about playing World Cup finals, because within a few months he debuted in Germany and scored his first goal, but Olmo was not yet. His mind that afternoon was focused on kicking the yellow ball against the wall. That blond child, who 20 years later would play it, hadn’t even entered La Masía yet,
On Sunday both will go out to MetLife in New York with the ’10’ on their backs seeking to lift the World Cup. Both have shown they are capable of changing the face of their teams when they are on the field. No one imagines Argentina without Messi in a major tournament, but neither Spain without Dani Olmo, even though it has been hard, and requires a lot of effort.
Olmo is the catalyst of the national team’s play. He carries the experience of two European Championships and lived through the harshness of elimination in the Qatar World Cup. From that he has gained infinite learning and the mark of having been the player who scored Spain’s 100th goal in World Cups, against Costa Rica.
The ’10’ jersey
His breakout came in the Eurocup in Germany where he overcame starting as a substitute and, above all, a buzz that especially motivated him. “He chose the ’10’ jersey and there were some comments about whether he was the type of player who should wear that number. That was a motivation for him, because he wanted to prove he was up to the task, as he was,” those close to him say. They see him much better in this World Cup than two years ago, despite not having scored yet. “Physically he has arrived in tremendous shape because he hasn’t had any discomfort or injuries for many months,” they add. In fact, he has everything set for 2026, with Barça and with the national team, and has scored three goals and provided six assists.
Luis de la Fuente always finds it hard to find him a spot in the starting eleven, a situation that is not new for Olmo and to which he knows that, if he proves himself, the Riojan corrects. He did so in the Under-21 European Championship in Italy. After a first match on the bench, he was the revolution and MVP in the final against Germany.
In the Eurocup, he won the debate with Pedri before the Canarian got injured and revealed himself as one of the best players of the tournament. He was also top scorer along with five other players. He signed with Barça, not without controversy over registration, and found himself with Pedri and the dawn of Fermín, with whom he has a “brutal” relationship on and off the field. He also didn’t start as a starter in the World Cup debut against Cape Verde and had to try the bench in the match against Uruguay, but Olmo, who already knows De la Fuente, knew he would end up being a key piece again.
He had wanted to face Messi for a long time, the best player in history, the best youth product of Barça and a mirror for those who grew up in La Masía. Right now this generation of Spanish players fears no one. Olmo expected this encounter to happen in the Finalissima and it will be on an even bigger stage. He has never had Leo in front of him. In a Champions League clash between RB Leipzig and PSG, each missed a match and they didn’t coincide. The duel that is pending has arrived.
