Spain is the first World Cup team to pick a ‘B-team’ as their 26-player squad is announced.
Spain’s manager, Luis de la Fuente, has put together a special squad for the 2026 World Cup and also created a backup list just in case. The European champions, who will play in Group H with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, announced their 26-player team on Monday morning.
For the first time ever, no Real Madrid players made the cut. Instead, Barcelona leads the way with eight stars from their team. Big-name player Lamine Yamal is included even though he’s dealing with a hamstring injury. Sadly, some players like Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, former captain Alvaro Morata, and Cristhian Mosquera didn’t make the final squad.
De la Fuente first picked a big 55-player group before narrowing it down to 26. But, as MARCA reported, he also created a B team. These players will support the main squad during training and might even play in an upcoming friendly against Iraq.
This B list includes Marc Bernal, Gonzalo Garcia, Sergio Gomez, Jon Martin, Turrientes, Javi Rodriguez, Javi Guerra, Jesus Rodriguez, and Leo Roman. Similar to what Thomas Tuchel did with some England players, these guys will train with the team and get a taste of the senior national setup.
Here’s the main squad breakdown:
– 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
Most players from the B team will experience their first time with the senior squad. De la Fuente wants to reward players who’ve had great seasons and give them a chance to start their journey with Spain.
The extra players help because some stars will have extra rest after the Champions League final, and others like Rodri, Lamine Yamal, and Nico Williams need time to recover.
Training kicks off at Las Rozas on May 30, with a friendly match against Iraq on June 4 in La Coruna. After that game, the B team players will be allowed to leave camp and enjoy their summer break.
De la Fuente said, “We look at how well players are doing, their form, and what they can add to the team. It’s never easy to leave players out, but everyone understands the decisions we made.”
Spain’s final warm-up match will be against Peru in Puebla, Mexico on June 9. Their World Cup adventure starts with games against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in Atlanta, then wraps up the group stage with a match versus Uruguay in Zapopan, Mexico on June 21.