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Barcelona Says Ter Stegen Is Back as Captain After Medical Report Is Sent to the Spanish League

Barcelona's German goalkeeper #01 Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes part in a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football match between AS Monaco and FC Barcelona at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on September 18, 2024. (AFP)
Barcelona's German goalkeeper #01 Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes part in a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football match between AS Monaco and FC Barcelona at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on September 18, 2024. (AFP)
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Barcelona Says Ter Stegen Is Back as Captain After Medical Report Is Sent to the Spanish League

Barcelona's German goalkeeper #01 Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes part in a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football match between AS Monaco and FC Barcelona at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on September 18, 2024. (AFP)
Barcelona's German goalkeeper #01 Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes part in a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football match between AS Monaco and FC Barcelona at the Joan Gamper training ground in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on September 18, 2024. (AFP)

Barcelona says Marc-Andre ter Stegen will return as first-team captain after announcing on Friday that the goalkeeper had authorized the club to send his medical report to the Spanish league.

The announcement came after Ter Stegen criticized suggestions he was to blame for Barcelona’s inability to register new players, insisting that his back surgery and recovery timeline were fully approved by the club.

The disagreement led to the 33-year-old Ter Stegen being stripped of the club’s captaincy on Thursday. But that changed Friday.

“The club announces that the player Marc-Andre ter Stegen has signed the authorization necessary for the club to send La Liga the medical report relating to his surgery,” Barcelona said in a statement. “The disciplinary case has been closed and the player is captain of the first team once again with immediate effect.”

The club had opened a disciplinary proceeding against the goalkeeper on Tuesday after discrepancies about the recovery time for the lower back surgery that Ter Stegen successfully underwent last week.

Barcelona needed him to sign the injury report so it could be sent to the Spanish league in order to clear some salary-cap space and allow the club to more easily register other players without breaching financial fair play rules.

Ter Stegen said ahead of the surgery that the recovery time would be about three months. The club did not give an official timetable for the recovery process, saying only that the operation was “successful" and that “his recovery will determine when he can return.”

The club signed Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García in June. Its other goalkeepers are veteran Wojciech Szczęsny and Iñaki Peña.

Ter Stegen missed nearly all of last season because of a ruptured tendon in his knee, and in 2023 he missed about two months because of another back operation. Peña and the 35-year-old Szczęsny started in place of Ter Stegen last season.

Barcelona, the defending Spanish league champion, arrived back in Spain on Tuesday after completing a preseason tour in Asia.

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Pino, Williams Injuries Mar Spain's World Cup Progress

Yeremy Pino's World Cup may have been ended by a shoulder injury. Ulises RUIZ / AFP
Yeremy Pino's World Cup may have been ended by a shoulder injury. Ulises RUIZ / AFP
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Pino, Williams Injuries Mar Spain's World Cup Progress

Yeremy Pino's World Cup may have been ended by a shoulder injury. Ulises RUIZ / AFP
Yeremy Pino's World Cup may have been ended by a shoulder injury. Ulises RUIZ / AFP

Spain's progress to the last 32 of the World Cup came at a cost as Yeremy Pino's tournament appears over, while Nico Williams suffered another muscle injury in Friday's 1-0 win over Uruguay.

Crystal Palace's Pino was forced to play out the final few minutes struggling with a shoulder injury after Luis de la Fuente had used his three windows to make substitutions, said AFP.

Williams was only introduced 15 minutes from time after being nursed back into action after an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao.

But he ended the game with an issue that could be a bodyblow to La Roja's hopes of World Cup glory.

The latest injuries leave De la Fuente desperately short of options in wide areas.

Lamine Yamal is yet to play 90 minutes in over two months on his return from a hamstring injury and Liverpool's new signing Victor Munoz has not featured at the World Cup after a setback in his return from a muscle problem.

"Nico was experiencing some slight discomfort. It could be a strain or just fatigue, we'll have to wait until tomorrow to know for sure," said De la Fuente.

"However, and I am really sad about this, what really concerns me is Yeremy's injury. It looks bad and there is a very strong possibility he will miss the rest of the tournament."

Spain were far from their fluid best in Guadalajara as Alex Baena's goal, thanks to a goalkeeping error from Fernando Muslera, secured top spot in Group H.

The European champions will next face Austria or Algeria in Los Angeles.

De la Fuente conceded his side must improve once the knockout stages get underway, but praised Spain's discipline as Uruguay lost their heads in bowing out of the tournament.

Some lenient refereeing from American official Ismail Elfath had allowed the South Americans physical approach to thrive until Agustin Canobbio was shown a red card in stoppage time for a wild lunge on Pau Cubarsi.

"I am proud of my players in a match that pushed us to the limit in every sense of the word, physically very demanding and rough, that we stood up to be counted," added De la Fuente.

"We know we can find ourselves in games like this and the most important thing is that we rose to the occasion, even if the performance wasn't particularly dazzling.

"In football, you can't always play with the brilliance you wish for, or that we are capable of showing at other times.

"We maintained an incredibly high level of concentration, responsibility, and composure, and we avoided rising to the many provocations that could have led to serious trouble."

Sports

Saudi Arabia’s Failure to Create Chances Sealed Fate, Coach Says

Saudi Arabia head coach Giorgos Donis before the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in Houston, USA, 26 June 2026. (EPA)
Saudi Arabia head coach Giorgos Donis before the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in Houston, USA, 26 June 2026. (EPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Failure to Create Chances Sealed Fate, Coach Says

Saudi Arabia head coach Giorgos Donis before the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in Houston, USA, 26 June 2026. (EPA)
Saudi Arabia head coach Giorgos Donis before the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in Houston, USA, 26 June 2026. (EPA)

Saudi ‌Arabia's inability to hold the ball and create attacking chances doomed the team in a goalless draw with Cape Verde at Houston Stadium on Friday in their final World Cup Group H match, coach Georgios Donis said.

"We were very poor ‌in creating ‌actions. One cannot win ‌a ⁠game this way," ⁠he said.

He added that Saudi Arabia had problems putting pressure on Cape Verde's backline aside from a short period of time in the ⁠second half.

"Our line of ‌attack was ‌not doing well. Our greatest problem ‌today was creation and this ‌was self-evident."

Donis praised his players, saying the World Cup journey was a good experience, but ‌he would need to reassess the performance down the ⁠road.

"It ⁠was not what we wanted because when playing in such a match against a team more or less the same level of us our level was not good. This gives cause for concern," he said.

"The journey was good and I would like to thank the players."

Sports

Uruguay Crash Out of World Cup as Spain Avoid Argentina Clash

Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera (23) is beaten by a shot from Spain's Alex Baena (15) for the opining goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Spain in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP)
Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera (23) is beaten by a shot from Spain's Alex Baena (15) for the opining goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Spain in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP)
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Uruguay Crash Out of World Cup as Spain Avoid Argentina Clash

Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera (23) is beaten by a shot from Spain's Alex Baena (15) for the opining goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Spain in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP)
Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera (23) is beaten by a shot from Spain's Alex Baena (15) for the opining goal during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Spain in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP)

Uruguay bowed out of the World Cup as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera's howler gifted Spain a 1-0 win in Guadalajara to secure top spot in Group H.

Alex Baena's weak shot slipped through Muslera's grasp for the only goal as Spain avoided a last-32 showdown against Argentina.

The European champions will instead face Austria or Algeria next in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Uruguay's defeat allowed debutants Cape Verde to secure second place and a meeting with Lionel Messi and the defending champions thanks to a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia.

Two-time winners Uruguay become the highest ranked side to crash out in the group stages as the defeat rounded off a miserable tournament for Marcelo Bielsa and his squad.

After draws against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, reports of a revolt in the Uruguay camp emerged with leading players, including Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, clashing with Bielsa over his tactics.

Bielsa controversially substituted Valverde on the hour mark and said the decision to replace Muslera at half-time had been taken by the player himself.

"Journalists and fans of Uruguayan football legitimately want to pin the blame on me. I'm the person responsible and I have to accept it," said Bielsa.

Spain's King Felipe was among those in attendance but the only clash between two former winners of the World Cup in the group stages was a huge disappointment.

Lamine Yamal's to the starting line-up had sparked the Spanish attack into life in a 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia after La Roja began in underwhelming fashion with a goalless draw against Cape Verde.

But another labored attacking performance leaves Luis de la Fuente with plenty to ponder before the knockout stages begin on Sunday.

- Spain's injury concerns -

To add to Spain's concerns a shoulder injury suffered by Yeremy Pino may have ended his tournament, while Nico Williams also ended a bruising encounter with a muscle problem.

"In football, you can't always play with the brilliance you wish for, or that we are capable of showing at other times," said De la Fuente.

"We maintained an incredibly high level of concentration, responsibility, and composure, and we avoided rising to the many provocations that could have led to serious trouble."

A hero of Uruguay's run to the semi-finals in 2010, Muslera was at fault for both Cape Verde's goals in a 2-2 draw.

And in Guadalajara, Spain had barely threatened the Uruguay goal before the 40-year-old allowed Baena's shot to dribble over the line from Marcos Llorente's cross on 42 minutes.

Muslera was replaced at half-time by Sergio Rochet and the Uruguay boss made an even bolder call when Valverde was taken off on the hour mark.

Yamal was replaced 15 minutes from time as his minutes continue to be managed after a hamstring injury ended his club season prematurely.

His replacement Ferran Torres should have doubled the lead five minutes from time but hit the bar with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Uruguay's miserable tournament was summed up when Agustin Canobbio was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for a wild lunge on Pau Cubarsi.

Hyped as one of the pre-tournament favorites, Spain are now 34 competitive games unbeaten and are yet to concede a goal at the World Cup.

But in stark contrast to some of the scintillating attacking play on show from the likes of France, Argentina and the Netherlands, La Roja are yet to convince in their quest for a second World Cup triumph.