Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal and midfielder Pedri headline a heavy Catalan contingent anchoring the Spanish national team squad for the 2026 World Cup, which features a historic omission: not a single player from Real Madrid was selected.
Head coach Luis de la Fuente has chosen to stick with the core group that captured the Euro 2024 title, naming eight players from a Barcelona side that recently secured back-to-back La Liga championships. Despite recovering from a left thigh injury, the 18-year-old Yamal is expected to spearhead an attack that features Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Nico Williams, and Mikel Oyarzabal.
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The midfield powerhouse will be marshaled by Pedri alongside Manchester City’s 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Paris Saint-Germain’s Fabian Ruiz, and the Arsenal duo of Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino, who enter the tournament fresh off a Premier League title.
Spain, the 2010 world champions, have been drawn into Group H for the newly expanded 48-team tournament, where they will face Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde. The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, featuring a Portuguese side competing in Group K against Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
