In the center of Barcelona it is more common to hear about the closure of mythical places than historical ones that keep the good tone. El Mundial was no different, a historic bar in Plaça Sant Agustí Vell del Borne with a century of history that closed four years ago with the retirement of its owners.
Now, however, the bar will reopen in the hands of the usual, the group that is responsible for recovering much of the legendary bars of Barcelona to give them a second life: the Confiteria group (Monk, Stravisky, Paradiso, Muy Buenas …). They will be, as reported by Tot Barcelona, in charge of bringing back to life a place that, not so long ago, was the meeting point for all boxing fans in the city, a sport that, not so long ago, was quite important for the people of Barcelona.
El Mundial, the boxers’ bar
The Mundial opened in 1925, and eventually became the home of a boxing fan club, which occupied the place until 1967. Hence, until its closure in 2021, the Mundial maintained a decoration riddled with photos and references to boxing in the city.
Today it may seem strange, but <there was a time when boxing was one of the essential sports of Barcelona, with a large following. To the point that, as we explain in this article, there came to be a whole brood of boxers opposed to Franco’s dictatorship who wrote their own chapter in the history of the city. And hence the importance of bars like the Mundial.
The Confiteria Group explains that the works have just begun and that the bar will open in spring, respecting, as they usually do, the essence of the previous premises, but renewing the offer, which will probably move away a little from the seafood restaurant tone that the Mundial had in its last stage. For more details we will have to wait.