Spain reveals 26-player World Cup team, with no Real Madrid players included for the first time ever in the tournament’s history.
Luis de la Fuente has picked the 26 players who will represent Spain at the 2026 World Cup. Some well-known names, like Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal, didn’t make the cut this time.
Spain is one of the favorites to win the tournament this summer, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. As the current European champions, they hope to win the World Cup again, just like they did in 2010.
Luis de la Fuente recently said his team is one of the favorites, along with England and France. He added, “We have to stay grounded, even though we are favorites. We can’t be overconfident.”
The coach also shared that the hardest part of his job is leaving out players who are really good but just can’t fit in the team.
So, who didn’t make it? At a press conference on Monday, Luis announced a strong team including stars like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, and David Raya—all expected to be part of the squad.
But some players won’t be there. Fermin Lopez, who got injured playing for Barcelona, along with Fran Garcia, Dani Carvajal, and Dean Huijsen, won’t join the team. Surprisingly, this is the first World Cup without any Real Madrid players on Spain’s squad.
On the bright side, Barcelona has eight players from their La Liga-winning team, including Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, and Yamal.
Striker Alvaro Morata, who has helped Spain a lot in the past, is also missing because he didn’t score any goals this season in Serie A. Atletico Madrid’s Robin Le Normand, Alejandro Balde, Pablo Barrios, Aleix Garcia, and Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera were left out too.
Here is the list of players:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón, David Raya, Joan García
Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Pubill, Eric García, Marcos Llorente, Pedro Porro
Midfielders: Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Martín Zubimendi, Gavi, Rodrigo Hernández, Álex Baena, Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal
Forwards: Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Víctor Muñoz, Lamine Yamal
Before the World Cup starts, Spain will play two friendly matches against Iraq and Peru. Then, in Group H, they will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.