Spain's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad shocks fans with no Real Madrid player

Spain have named a 26-man World Cup squad without a single Real Madrid player, despite expectations around Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia. The Barcelona-heavy selection has triggered strong reaction among supporters as Luis de la Fuente backs continuity before the Group H campaign.

In Short

• Barcelona had the biggest squad presence, including Pedri, Gavi and Joan Garcia
• Alvaro Morata also missed out despite captaining Spain to Euro 2024 glory
• Lamine Yamal may miss the opener against Cape Verde because of injury

Spain finally announced their 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Saturday and while the Euro 2024 champions remain one of the favourites for the tournament, the biggest talking point quickly became the complete absence of Real Madrid players from Luis de la Fuente’s squad.

The Spain head coach, who guided La Roja to UEFA Euro 2024 glory before finishing runners-up in the UEFA Nations League 2025, named a heavily Barcelona-dominated squad for the tournament across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

And fans were left stunned after Real Madrid stars Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia were all left out of the final squad despite strong expectations around their inclusion.

Even former captain Alvaro Morata, who led Spain during their Euro 2024 triumph, failed to make the cut.

Barcelona, meanwhile, had the highest representation in the squad with names like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Ferran Torres and goalkeeper Joan Garcia all included.

NO REAL MADRID PLAYERS IN SPAIN SQUAD

The absence of Real Madrid representation immediately became one of the biggest talking points surrounding Spain’s World Cup squad announcement.

Fans particularly expected Dean Huijsen to be included after his rapid rise over the past year, while Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were also viewed as realistic options given Spain’s depth concerns in defensive areas.

Instead, Luis de la Fuente opted for continuity around the core group that helped Spain dominate possession-based football during their recent international success.

Spain’s defensive unit will now be led by the likes of Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte and Pedro Porro, while the midfield once again revolves around Pedri, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz and Gavi.

In attack, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Borja Iglesias headline the options alongside teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

However, Barcelona’s teenage superstar is expected to miss Spain’s opening World Cup match against Cape Verde because of injury concerns.

Spain will also be without midfielder Fermin Lopez after he underwent surgery last week following a fractured foot.

SPAIN ENTER WORLD CUP AS TITLE CONTENDERS

Spain head into the FIFA World Cup 2026 as one of the strongest favourites after their resurgence under Luis de la Fuente over the last two years.

After winning UEFA Euro 2024 with an exciting young core mixed with experienced midfield control, Spain followed it up with another strong run in the UEFA Nations League before finishing runners-up earlier this year.

The squad announcement also came relatively late compared to several other World Cup nations, making the Real Madrid omission even more heavily discussed among supporters online.

Spain have been drawn in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

La Roja begin their World Cup campaign against Cape Verde on June 14 after playing warm-up friendlies against Iraq and Peru earlier in the month.

Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 squad

Goalkeepers:

Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan Garcia

Defenders:

Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Pubill, Eric Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Pedro Porro

Midfielders:

Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, Gavi, Rodrigo, Alex Baena, Mikel Merino

Forwards:

Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Victor Munoz, Lamine Yamal

- Ends