News Focus
- Luis de la Fuente states Spain’s 26-man World Cup squad was decided months before the official announcement
- Historic first: No Real Madrid players selected for La Roja’s tournament campaign
- Fermin Lopez ruled out with a broken metatarsal; Dani Carvajal also misses the cut
- Record eight FC Barcelona players included, with Gavi returning to the national setup
- Fitness concerns remain over Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has disclosed that he settled on his World Cup squad several months ago, despite only unveiling the final 26-man list recently. The national team boss explained that his staff monitored between 50 and 70 players before narrowing down their options for the tournament.
In a historic first for La Roja, no players from Real Madrid feature in the selected group. De la Fuente dismissed suggestions of club bias, insisting he chooses purely on merit. “I am the national team coach, not a supporter. I do not look at which club a player comes from,” he stated firmly.
The squad includes a record eight players from Barcelona, with Gavi’s return particularly celebrated by the manager. De la Fuente affectionately described the midfielder as the team’s “toy” and highlighted his versatility as crucial for their campaign.
Injury blows have hit the camp, with Fermin Lopez ruled out due to a broken metatarsal. Fitness worries also surround key attackers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, both recovering from hamstring problems, while Mikel Merino has not featured since January. De la Fuente assured fans that no risks would be taken unless absolutely necessary.
Between the posts, Joan Garcia’s inclusion has sparked discussion about the goalkeeping hierarchy alongside Unai Simon and David Raya. The manager defended his selection, claiming Spain possesses “the best goalkeepers in the world.”
Eric Garcia and Marc Pubill earned their places ahead of Dean Huijsen, with De la Fuente citing their familiarity with the national team setup at youth levels. Spain will fine-tune their preparations with friendly matches against Iraq and Peru before facing Cape Verde in their tournament opener on 15 June.