Spain named a 26-man squad for the World Cup on Monday in Madrid, and the list carried a jolt that will be hard to miss in the weeks ahead: the team will go to the tournament without a single Real Madrid player for the first time in its history. Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal and Gonzalo García were all left out as Luis de la Fuente turned to a group built around Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal and a core of established names.
The decision matters because Spain are not arriving as a rebuilding side. They are ranked No. 2 in the world behind France, and they will try to follow up a 2010 title with a deep run after a disappointing exit to Morocco in the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup. De la Fuente, though, did not hide behind caution when explaining his choices. He said he had “no doubt” about the availability of Yamal, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino, and added that his staff had been working with club doctors and fitness coaches to make sure the squad is ready for the opener.
Yamal’s inclusion is the most striking call in the group. The 18-year-old tore his left hamstring on 22 April and missed the rest of Barcelona’s La Liga campaign, but he was still named among Spain’s forwards alongside Nico Williams and Dani Olmo. De la Fuente said he was calm about the selection decisions and argued that the final 26 cover the team’s needs for the range of opponents they could face. He also said, in effect, that he does not weigh club badges when building the national side.
The squad announcement also underscored how unusual this Spanish group is at a club level. Spain have long leaned on Real Madrid and Barcelona talent, but this time the Madrid connection is absent from the roster altogether, while Barcelona remains central through Yamal, Gavi, Pedri and Pau Cubarsí. Unai Simón, David Raya and Joan García were named as goalkeepers; Marc Cucurella and Aymeric Laporte are among the defenders; and Gavi, Rodri and Pedri headline a midfield that will be expected to control games from the start.
Spain open Group H against Cape Verde on 15 June in Atlanta, then play Saudi Arabia there again on 21 June before finishing the group stage against Uruguay on 26 June in Guadalajara. The team will warm up for the tournament with friendlies against Iraq and Peru, giving De la Fuente a final chance to check fitness and shape before the competition begins. If his confidence in Yamal holds, Spain could open with one of the youngest and most dangerous wide threats in the tournament. If it does not, the squad’s most eye-catching selection could become its biggest gamble.
