Two phenomena guard the vineyard

One of the most interesting aspects of the season has been the pivotal role played by a type of footballer once considered endangered. Tonight in Munich, the stage of the Spain-Portugal match that will decide the Nations League champion, will be a good opportunity to enjoy two players who resist the taller, faster, stronger model that predominates in today's game . One is Pedri; the other, Vitinha. Each represents their own success and that of their teams ( Barça and PSG) in an era where prejudices encourage us to exclude two lightweight and wonderful midfielders from the equation.

Legs. That's how concisely one of the most used expressions in the game's current slang is. It elevates a priority demand in soccer: power, energy, speed, range, even intimidation, if you will. "He's got legs" is said to define a type of player capable of integrating and surviving in the physical jungle of matches.

Both Pedri and Vitinha represent the football that will never die.

Real Madrid , for example, has been built on that same budget in recent years. Since the signings of Modric, Isco, Kroos—an extraordinary player never known for his speed or defensive prowess—and James, between 2012 and 2014, the club hasn't invested in the type of midfielder it now misses.

Madrid opted for Tchouaméni, Camavinga, and Bellingham as the foundation for a new era of success. They defined the team's future, in line with the general trend in football. These are young and excellent players, in Bellingham's case at an even higher level. A star, without a doubt. However, Real Madrid fans yearned for Kroos from the start of the season and have longed for the Modric of two or three years ago, even though he was closer to forty than thirty.

The leg matters, but science is just as indispensable as ever, perhaps more than ever. In recent years, one of the most common clichés in football has been resorted to: this, that, and that one would have no place in today's football or their level of influence would be infinitely less. Let's replace the demonstrative pronouns with three names: Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets. Even in their time, they had to overcome considerable prejudices. They were small and light, or tall, thin, and slow in the case of Busquets.

Needless to say, the trio has gone down in history as the best midfield line in the history of Barça, Spanish football, and one of the best in world football, if not the best. They knew the secrets of the game inside out, imposed their opinions with astonishing ease, and, just in case, fooled everyone with their alleged protein deficiency. Xavi covered more kilometers than anyone else, Iniesta used his body as an insurmountable shield to protect the ball, and Busquets read defensive actions with unparalleled clarity.

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Wouldn't they be useful for today's football? They would be just as useful as Pedri and Vitinha, or Bernardo Silva in his exceptional contribution to Manchester City's best years. Both Pedri and Vitinha represent the kind of football that will never die, despite the doomsayers who discount these types of players decade after decade. Behind their unimpressive appearance lies the wisdom, cunning, and display that make a substantial difference. Without them, the brilliant seasons of Barça and PSG, the two teams currently setting the world's trends, would be incomprehensible. How wonderful that they create a difference with two midfielders whom the prevailing modernity considered passé.