Spain World Cup 2026 Squad Review: European Champions Equipped to Go All the Way This Summer
Tom Hancock
Spain are among the favourites to win the World Cup 2026, and head coach Luis de la Fuente has named an exciting squad for the finals. Let’s take a look at how La Roja are shaping up for this summer’s big tournament…
Spain’s World Cup 2026 Squad at a Glance
The headline news from Spain’s World Cup 2026 squad announcement was the complete absence of Real Madrid players. This will be Spain’s 17th World Cup; they’ve never previously been without any Madrid representation.
Still, the bulk of the players Luis de la Fuente has selected ply their club trade in Spain, with LaLiga champions Barcelona providing the most squad members (eight). There’s also strong Premier League representation, among them Arsenal trio David Raya, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi.
Sixteen of the 26 players were part of the Spanish squad which won Euro 2024 under De la Fuente; six members of the squad will head to their first major tournament, including uncapped Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubill.
Notable Absentees from Spain’s World Cup 2026 Squad
Centre-back Dean Huijsen seemed the most likely Madrid player to be named in the squad but will have to wait for his first major tournament. Others who were included in Spain’s final pre-World Cup squad but aren’t on the plane to North America include Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera and Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez – who was ruled out with a broken foot.
Spain’s World Cup 2026 Goalkeepers
Spain boast arguably the strongest goalkeeping contingent at the World Cup 2026, with Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon set to be first choice between the sticks at a fourth major tournament. He’ll face competition in that department, though, from 2025/26 Premier League champion and Golden Glove winner Raya.
Spain’s World Cup 2026 Defenders
The Spanish backline is relatively inexperienced on the international stage, with 32-year-old centre-back Aymeric Laporte the oldest and most-capped (44) defender in the squad. The Athletic Bilbao man will likely be partnered by 19-year-old Pau Cubarsi of Barcelona.
Spain have options at right-back and left-back, with Atletico’s Marcos Llorente and Tottenham’s Pedro Porro battling out for the former spot, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Alex Grimaldo and Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella in contention for the latter.
Spain’s World Cup 2026 Midfielders
De la Fuente is blessed with an abundance of quality options in the middle of the park – none more so than captain Rodri of Manchester City. With the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner operating as the pivot in a midfield three, Spain can call on the likes of Merino and Barcelona trio Pedri, Gavi and Dani Olmo to fill the more advanced roles.
Spain’s World Cup 2026 Forwards
In attack is where you’ll find Spain’s main man: Lamine Yamal, who burst onto the international scene at Euro 2024 and won’t turn 19 until two days before this year’s World Cup final. The Barcelona star is on his way back from a hamstring injury, but De la Fuente is confident he’ll be ready to go for Spain’s opening game against Cape Verde.
One would expect right-winger Yamal to be joined in a front three by the two teammates he played alongside en route to Euro 2024 glory: Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal and, on the left, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams. Another Barcelona player, Ferran Torres, brings 55 caps’ (and 23 goals’) worth of international experience to the table, with 33-year-old Borja Iglesias of Celta Vigo a centre-forward in the old-school battering ram mould.
