The World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada can elevate careers just as quickly as it can derail them. While several Barcelona stars have enhanced their reputations with standout performances on football's biggest stage, others have struggled to make an impact or seen their tournament end in disappointment.
Getting to the World Cup is an achievement in itself, both for the players and their nation. But that sense of accomplishment quickly fades when your country's campaign comes to an end, bringing the dream of lifting football's biggest prize and being crowned world champions to an abrupt halt.
With the knockout rounds now underway, here's a look at the Barcelona players who have emerged as the biggest losers of the World Cup so far.
The departed - Ronald Araujo
Ronald Araújo arrived at the World Cup with as much flair as his bright blue hair, but neither made much of an impression. Injury ruled the Barcelona defender out of the tournament entirely, denying him the chance to feature on football's biggest stage.
Uruguay's campaign was equally underwhelming. Draws against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia proved costly, with the South Americans finishing behind the African island nation and failing to secure automatic qualification from the group. Their third-place finish brought a disappointing end to Marcelo Bielsa's campaign and a commercial flight home.
With stars such as Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez and Rodrigo Bentancur all struggling to inspire the team, Ronald Araújo's World Cup ended without kicking a ball, leaving the Barcelona centre-back to return to Catalonia sooner than anyone had anticipated.
Unlucky loser - Frenkie de Jong
The Netherlands were unfortunate after winning a difficult group, only to be drawn against a Morocco side widely regarded as dark horses to win the tournament, or at least make a deep run.
Both teams created enough chances to win, but the tie was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout, with the North Africans prevailing to set up a quarter-final against hosts Canada. Having won their group only to face arguably the strongest runner-up, Frenkie de Jong and his teammates can count themselves unfortunate.
Tears of frustration - Raphinha
It has been an unfortunate season for Raphinha, with a series of muscular injuries disrupting his campaign and preventing him from putting together a consistent run of games. He would have hoped to replicate the outstanding form he showed last season, when he excelled across all competitions.
However, he suffered a hamstring injury in Brazil's second group match against Haiti, an issue that appears set to cut short his World Cup. Although he returned to training before the clash with Norway, he is unlikely to play a significant role against Erling Haaland and company, with his tournament seemingly coming to an early end.
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