Spain coach Luis de la Fuente announces his squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 at an event in Madrid, on May 25, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Spain named injured forward Lamine Yamal in the 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which, for the first time, will feature zero players from Real Madrid.Also read | FIFA World Cup 2026: Thomas Tuchel drops big names from England squadThe 18-year-old Yamal tore his left hamstring in an April 22, 2026, game for FC Barcelona and missed the rest of the club's La Liga campaign.Previous reports said that Yamal could miss Spain's World Cup opener, but coach Luis de la Fuente said he had "no doubt" about the availability of the young star and also others who are dealing with fitness concerns."We're very calm," de la Fuente said. "I think that if there are no setbacks, we can almost have everyone available from the first game. The doctor and fitness coach have been visiting the clubs and talking to them. We've been coordinating. ... I have no doubt they'll be ready for the first game, and if not, they'll be ready for the second."On Monday (May 25, 2026), de la Fuente announced his roster during an event in Madrid, notably leaving out Real Madrid defenders Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal, and striker Gonzalo Garcia. Also absent are injured Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, as well as, Como forward Alvaro Morata, 33, who captained the winning side at the UEFA EURO 2024."It's difficult," de la Fuente said of leaving players out. "We think about every possible scenario that can happen in games with our opponents, and their characteristics.... We've chosen these 26. I think we've covered the needs of the team. ... I don't look at whether they play for one team or another."Number two in the FIFA world rankings behind France, Spain is in Group H with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. Spain opens their campaign against Cape Verde on June 15, 2026, in Atlanta, before playing Saudi Arabia on June 21, also at the same venue, and Uruguay on June 26, in Guadalajara, Mexico.The 2010 World Cup champions will warm up for the competition with friendlies against Iraq on Thursday (June 4, 2026) in La Coruna, Spain, and against Peru on June 8 in Puebla, Mexico.Spain World Cup squad:Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan GarciaDefenders: Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Alejandro Grimaldo, Pedro Porro, Eric Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Marc PubillMidfielders: Gavi, Rodri, Pedri, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz, Alex Baena, Mikel MerinoForwards: Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Yeremy Pino, Borja Iglesias, Victor Munoz Published - May 26, 2026 01:39 pm IST
