News Focus
- Lamine Yamal travels to the World Cup despite a hamstring tear suffered in April
- Real Madrid sees zero representatives in the Spain squad for the first time ever
- Seven English Premier League stars included in the 26-man selection
- Nico Williams also named despite fitness concerns ahead of the tournament
- Spain open their Group H campaign against debutants Cape Verde on 15 June
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has gambled on the fitness of Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal by including the injured forward in his final World Cup squad. The 18-year-old picked up a torn left hamstring while playing for his club on 22 April and has not featured since.
In a historic first for the national team, no Real Madrid players have made the cut. Defenders Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal both failed to earn selection, marking the first occasion the squad has travelled to a major tournament without a single representative from the capital club.
Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams also features despite battling his own hamstring troubles. De la Fuente remains optimistic about his injured stars, stating that barring any complications, the entire group should be available for their opening fixture.
The squad includes seven players based in the English Premier League. Arsenal contribute three names: goalkeeper David Raya, midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino, who recently returned from a four-month absence with a foot injury. Manchester City’s Rodri, Tottenham’s Pedro Porro, Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella and Crystal Palace’s Yeremy Pino complete the English-based contingent.
Uncapped defenders Eric Garcia of Barcelona and Marc Pubill of Atletico Madrid have received surprise call-ups after strong club performances. However, Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez will miss the tournament through a broken foot.
Spain begin their Group H challenge against tournament debutants Cape Verde on 15 June, before facing Saudi Arabia and Uruguay later that month. The competition runs from 11 June to 19 July.