Dean Huijsen’s Spain story gets a new twist as the reason behind his World Cup squad miss comes to light
The story about Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen being left out of Spain’s World Cup squad has taken a surprising turn. Huijsen wasn’t included in coach Luis de la Fuente’s final 26-man team announced Monday morning.
This marks the first time since 1950 that no Real Madrid player will be part of Spain’s World Cup squad. Big names like Alvaro Carreras, Fran Garcia, and Dani Carvajal also missed out. But Huijsen’s absence is the biggest surprise, especially since he played the full 90 minutes in Spain’s last match against Egypt in March.
The 21-year-old, who joined Real Madrid from Bournemouth last summer for £50 million, seemed to send a clear message on Instagram just before the squad was announced. He shared a graphic showing Sofascore’s Team of the Season for 2025/26, with himself as center-back alongside Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia—both of whom made the Spain team.
Spanish newspaper OK Diario recently revealed more about Huijsen’s reaction to missing out. They say he thought his spot in the squad was almost guaranteed, especially since he had appeared in many promotional campaigns before the announcement. In fact, Huijsen had even complained to Real Madrid about how much he was involved in these promotions.
It’s also reported that a few weeks ago, a film crew visited Huijsen’s family home to film a documentary about the national team and the World Cup, adding to his confusion.
Those close to Huijsen believe he wasn’t treated honestly, and the player himself feels really upset about the decision.
SPORTbible has reached out to Real Madrid for a comment.
This summer was a tough one for Real Madrid, as the team didn’t win any trophies and there were reports of disagreements in the locker room. Huijsen wasn’t part of those issues but did face some struggles on the field, partly due to injuries.
Although born in the Netherlands and having played for their youth teams, Huijsen decided to represent Spain, where he has lived since he was five. He earned seven caps since his senior debut in 2024 but won’t add to that tally this summer.