For most of Spanish football history, Real Madrid has been a dominant force, consistently competing with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table, winning a record 15 Champions League titles overall and nine La Ligas since 2000. Los Blancos players have played major roles for the Spanish national team in the past, as La Roja’s 2010 World Cup-winning side was led by goalkeeper Iker Casillas, defender Sergio Ramos, and midfielder Xabi Alonso, three of the most successful Madridistas ever.

The tides have shifted. While Real Madrid is still a contender domestically, winning the double in 2023-24 and finishing second behind the Blaugrana in each of the past two seasons, many of its stars represent other nations, including Kylian Mbappé (France), Vincius Júnior (Brazil), Jude Bellingham (England), and Federico Valverde (Uruguay).

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente announced La Roja’s official 26-man World Cup squad this morning, and for the first time ever, none play for Los Blancos.

Full Roster

Goalkeepers (3): Unai Simón (Athletic Club), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan García (Barcelona)

Defenders (8): Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Eric García (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club), Marc Pubill (Atlético Madrid), Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders (7): Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Fabián (Paris Saint-Germain), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Gavi (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid)

Attackers (8): Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), Yéremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Ferrán Torres (Barcelona), Borja Iglesias (Celta de Vigo), Víctor Múñoz (Osasuna), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

Analysis

Key Players

Spain’s most notable player is Lamine Yamal, the Blaugrana’s 18-year-old wunderkind who finished second in Ballon d’Or voting last season and, despite an injury-riddled season, produced 24 goals and 17 assists across 45 appearances in all competitions. Though Yamal will likely miss the first two matches while he recovers from a hamstring injury, he should have plenty of chemistry with his Barcelona teammates Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Pedri, Dani Olmo, and Ferrán Torres once he returns. Yamal also displayed rapport with Nico Williams during Spain’s run to the Euro 2024 title. Further back, 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri didn’t have the best domestic campaign with Manchester City, but he shouldn’t have to play a major role with Martín Zubimendi, an everyday starter for Premier League winners Arsenal, emerging as de la Fuente’s preferred option. La Roja also has a lot of depth in the defense, with Álex Grimaldo and Marc Cucurella forming a strong left-back rotation and Marcos Llorente and Pedro Porro providing plenty of options on the right. In between the sticks, David Raya could win this season’s Yashin Trophy…and won’t even start for his country, as de la Fuente has consistently chosen Unai Símon.

Key Omissions

Spain’s defensive depth is the primary reason no Real Madrid player made the squad. Center-back Dean Huijsen, who started two matches throughout the qualification campaign and started 28 matches for Los Blancos in La Liga this season, had a case to be chosen over Marc Pubill, but Pubill’s ability to play both centrally and on the right ultimately proved a dagger for Huijsen’s chances. Additionally, Dani Carvajal’s omission came as somewhat of a surprise; though the veteran right-back hasn’t played much this season after sustaining a torn ACL late in 2024, he played a pivotal role in both Real Madrid’s 2024 Champions League triumph and Spain’s Euros win. Once again, de la Fuente opted to value versatility, as both Llorente and Porro can play in both the midfield and at right-back. The final Los Blancos snub was youngster Gonzalo García, a breakout star at last summer’s Club World Cup, but Borja Iglesias’ strong season at Celta de Vigo was enough to make him the third striker behind Oyarzabal and Torres.

Spain World Cup 2026 Odds

La Roja are +475 favorites to win the World Cup, -450 to win Group H — which also features Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde — and -10000 to qualify for the knockout stages. They’ll open their tournament with a 12 p.m. ET match against the Blue Sharks on June 15th in Atlanta, in which they are -1100 favorites to win and +1000 to draw.

Spain has participated in the World Cup 16 times, winning in 2010, but it has been eliminated in the Round of 16 in each of the past two iterations. La Roja last won their group in 2018, when they pipped Portugal on goals scored.