Spain will head to the World Cup without a single Real Madrid player for the first time in their history, as Luis de la Fuente announced his 26-man squad for this summer's tournament. The selection notably omits Real Madrid stars such as Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal, and Gonzalo García, while including Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who tore his left hamstring on 22 April and missed the remainder of his club's La Liga campaign.
Injury Concerns and Squad Selection
Despite earlier reports suggesting the 18-year-old could miss Spain's World Cup opener, De la Fuente expressed confidence in Yamal's availability, along with other players dealing with fitness issues like Nico Williams and Mikel Merino. “We’re very calm,” De la Fuente said. “I think that if there are no setbacks, we can almost have everyone available from the first game. The doctor and fitness coach have been visiting the clubs and talking to them. We’ve been coordinating … I have no doubt they’ll be ready for the first game, and if not, they’ll be ready for the second.”
De la Fuente announced his squad at an event in Madrid on Monday, also leaving out injured Barcelona midfielder Fermín López and Como forward Álvaro Morata, who captained Spain during their Euro 2024 victory. “It’s difficult,” De la Fuente admitted regarding the omissions. “We think about every possible scenario that can happen in games with our opponents, and their characteristics … We’ve chosen these 26. I think we’ve covered the needs of the team … I don’t look at whether they play for one team or another.”
World Cup Group and Preparations
Spain, ranked second in the world behind France, are placed in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. They will begin their campaign against Cape Verde on 15 June in Atlanta, followed by a match against Saudi Arabia on 21 June, also in Atlanta. The group stage concludes in Mexico, where they face Uruguay on 26 June in Guadalajara. The 2010 World Cup champions will warm up with friendlies against Iraq and Peru, aiming to improve on their 2022 performance when they lost to Morocco in the round of 16.
Full Spain World Cup Squad
- Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic Club), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan García (Barcelona)
- Defenders: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club), Álejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Eric García (Barcelona), Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid), Marc Pubill (Atlético Madrid)
- Midfielders: Gavi (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Fabián Ruiz (PSG), Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid), Mikel Merino (Arsenal)
- Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Yéremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo), Víctor Muñoz (Osasuna)
