Spain named a 26-man World Cup squad on Monday in Madrid, and coach Luis de la Fuente kept faith with 18-year-old Lamine Yamal despite the Barcelona winger tearing his left hamstring on 22 April and missing the final month of the season.
The team de la Fuente announced contains no Real Madrid players for the first time, a notable break with tradition after Real failed to win a trophy this season and finished eight points behind La Liga champions Barcelona. De la Fuente left out defenders Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal and called up two uncapped defenders — Eric Garcia and Marc Pubill — after their displays for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, respectively. There are seven Premier League players in the squad.
De la Fuente addressed selection directly: "I don't look at one club or another. I don't have that local bias a fan might have. For me, it's more global," he said, adding: "The only thing I want is for these footballers to feel proud of representing the national team." He expressed confidence about the group's fitness, saying: "We're very relaxed. Barring any setbacks, we'll have everyone available from the very first match," and later: "I think that if there are no setbacks, we can almost have everyone available from the first game."
The squad has been shaped by injury questions and recent recoveries. Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez was ruled out of the tournament last week with a broken foot, while Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams was included despite a hamstring problem. Mikel Merino earned a place after returning in Arsenal's last Premier League game of the season on Sunday following four months out with a stress fracture in the foot.
Spain enter the tournament as the defending European champions, having won Euro 2024, and arrive ranked No 2 in the world behind France. They will open their World Cup campaign in Group H against Cape Verde on 15 June, then face Saudi Arabia on 21 June and Uruguay on 26 June; the World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July. The squad also carries the memory of the 2022 World Cup, when Spain exited in the last 16 after a defeat by Morocco.
The selection reflects a balancing act between form and fitness. De la Fuente called up uncapped players who have impressed at club level and retained young talents who have already made international headlines: Lamine Yamal became Spain's youngest player and goalscorer in 2023 when he made his debut aged 16 years and 57 days. Yet that pedigree cannot erase the reality that Yamal missed the closing month of the season after his hamstring tear.
There is a clear tension between optimism and risk. De la Fuente sought to steady expectations, saying: "Excitement is the key word. Passion," and pointing to nationwide backing: "The reaction of people all over Spain - adults and children alike - is that they are fully behind the national team." Still, the omission of any Real Madrid players for the first time and the choice to include injury-troubled attackers underline the gamble at the core of the selection: Spain have prioritised form, youth and recovery timelines over club representation.
The practical consequence is immediate. Spain will travel to the World Cup with several key questions unresolved — chiefly whether Yamal and Williams will be fully ready for the 15 June opener. De la Fuente has said "no doubt" about his belief in the group's readiness and that "We’re very calm," but his most consequential line was blunt and specific: "I think that if there are no setbacks, we can almost have everyone available from the first game." Spain have set their course; the next three weeks of preparation will decide whether that course holds when they step onto the field against Cape Verde on 15 June.
