Real Madrid Stars Missing As Coach Fuente Announces Squad for 2026 World Cup
- Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has announced his 26-man list for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The former Alaves coach failed to name any Real Madrid star as La Roja targets their second title
- Former Galacticos captain Dani Carvajal missed out due to injury and limited minutes, despite being a key figure in the setups
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has officially announced his squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, excluding Real Madrid stars.
La Fuente's 26-man final list was released on Monday, May 25, as La Roja eye their second Mundial title in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Source: Getty Images
Barcelona stars dominate Spain’s World Cup squad
Luis de la Fuente has included eight Barcelona players in Spain's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to NDTV, the squad features several young stars from Barcelona, including Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal.
Rodri is expected to lead the midfield alongside Fabian Ruiz and Martín Zubimendi, while Nico Williams and Dani Olmo provide attacking quality.
In goal, Spain selected Unai Simon, David Raya and Joan García, while the defence includes Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo and Aymeric Laporte.
Real Madrid stars miss Spain’s World Cup squad
Former Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal was once a key figure under De la Fuente and an important member of the national team setup.
However, persistent injury problems and limited playing time this season meant the experienced right-back was not included in the preliminary 56-man squad.
According to beIN Sports, several Madrid-linked players, including Dean Huijsen, Fran García, Alvaro Carreras, Raul Asencio and Gonzalo García, were considered for selection but failed to make the final squad for the tournament.
Huijsen’s omission has been described as one of the biggest surprises, as the defender had previously been viewed as a potential starter for Spain.
Source: Getty Images
However, his inconsistent performances this season reportedly saw him lose his place to Barcelona defender Eric García.
Full list
Goalkeepers- Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garcia (Barcelona)
Defenders- Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Marc Pubill (Atlético Madrid), Eric García (Barcelona), Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders- Pedri (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (PSG), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Gavi (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid), Mikel Merino (Spain)
Forwards- Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Borja Iglesias (Celta de Vigo), Víctor Munoz (Osasuna), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Meanwhile, Spain will kick off their campaign in the summer's showpiece tournament against Cape Verde on June 15 before taking on Saudi Arabia (June 21) and Uruguay (June 27) in Group H.
Tuchel drops Harry Maguire
Legit.ng earlier reported that Harry Maguire has reportedly confirmed that he will not be part of the England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel personally informed Maguire that he would not be included in the final 26-man squad travelling to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Source: Legit.ng
