Eric García barely had time to celebrate one trophy before setting his sights on the next. Days after coming off the bench to help Spain beat Argentina in the World Cup final, the Barcelona defender declared that lifting the Champions League with his club is now the target that matters most.
"Every player wants to win, to win titles, and that's what we're here for," García said, making clear that a World Cup winner's medal has not softened his hunger for European silverware.
García, 25, was one of eight Barcelona players in Spain's squad in the United States, and his World Cup involvement had an almost cinematic shape to it: he did not play a single minute until the final itself, when he was sent on during extra time at MetLife Stadium as Luis de la Fuente's side protected a 1-0 lead.
That lead came from a Ferran Torres strike in the 105th minute, breaking a stalemate that had run through 98 goalless minutes of normal time against a Lionel Messi-led Argentina. It handed Spain a second World Cup title, its first since 2010.
García was quick to point to the mental side of that breakthrough. He said it was "no coincidence" that Torres was the man who scored the winner, explaining that both of them have worked with a sports psychologist throughout their careers and crediting that preparation for helping the squad handle the pressure of a final.
He also reflected on his own long wait for a role in the tournament, saying he had spent the whole month preparing for a chance that might never come — and that it finally arrived in the biggest game of all.
The Barcelona academy product, who returned to the club after a loan spell at Girona and has re-established himself as a first-team regular in Hansi Flick's defence over the past two seasons, is due back at Barcelona's training ground on 12 August to begin pre-season work ahead of the new campaign.
For a player who has already won a World Cup, a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey with Barcelona, the Champions League is the conspicuous gap in his honours list — and, on this evidence, the one he is now most determined to close.
