Spain World Cup 2026 Squad: Full 26-Man Roster, De la Fuente's Euro Champions Target World Title

Luis de la Fuente named his 26-man Spain squad on May 25, 2026, confirming La Roja for a World Cup campaign that enters as tournament favorites according to Opta’s predictive model. Spain enters Group H alongside Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, carrying the confidence of Euro 2024 champions and a generation of talent — Pedri, Yamal, Nico Williams, Gavi, Cubarsí — that has already delivered a major trophy and now targets the game’s biggest prize.

Last updated: May 25, 2026.

Full 26-man squad

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

Key inclusions

Lamine Yamal enters his first World Cup at 18 as already one of the tournament’s most dangerous attackers. The Barcelona winger’s Euro 2024 breakthrough — the youngest goalscorer in European Championship history — established him as a generational talent. His fitness is the squad’s biggest concern: a hamstring injury has limited his club minutes in the final months of the season, and he may miss the opening match against Cabo Verde. De la Fuente and the medical staff are managing his workload toward the knockout stage.

Pau Cubarsí (19) has established himself as Spain’s starting center-back less than two years after his Barcelona debut. His composure on the ball, reading of the game, and passing range embody Spain’s footballing identity — a ball-playing defender in the Piqué-Puyol tradition but with modern athletic attributes.

Dean Huijsen (21) earned his first tournament call-up after a breakout Premier League season at Bournemouth. The Dutch-born center-back chose Spain at youth level and now provides depth behind Cubarsí and Laporte — his aerial dominance offers a different defensive profile against physically direct opponents.

Pedri (23) enters his second World Cup as Spain’s most important midfielder — the metronome who dictates tempo, finds space between lines, and connects defense to attack. His fitness has been managed carefully by Barcelona and the national team after early-career overuse, and he arrives at the tournament in peak condition.

Notable omissions

Dani Carvajal — six-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid and Spain’s starting right-back for a decade — was dropped from the squad entirely. De la Fuente opted for Pedro Porro and Marcos Llorente as the right-back options, citing Carvajal’s declining physical output and Porro’s superior attacking production. Only three Real Madrid players made the final 26 — a historic low reflecting the generational shift toward Barcelona’s academy products.

Álvaro Morata (33, Atlético Madrid) was on the preliminary list but excluded from the final squad. Morata captained Spain at Euro 2024 and scored 37 international goals, but De la Fuente prioritized Oyarzabal’s versatility and Borja Iglesias’s form as the central striking alternatives.

Joan García (Espanyol) missed the goalkeeper cut behind Unai Simón, Raya, and Remiro. Mikel Merino was included despite recovering from a broken foot — his availability for the group stage remains uncertain.

Tactical outlook

De la Fuente’s Spain plays a 4-3-3 that has evolved from the possession-obsessed identity of the 2010s into a more direct, vertical attacking system without sacrificing control. The midfield trio of Rodri (holding), Pedri (right interior), and Dani Olmo (left interior) provides the tournament’s best blend of defensive security, creative passing, and goal threat from midfield.

The attack is built around the two wide forwards who defined Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph: Yamal from the right, Nico Williams from the left. Both provide pace, dribbling, and the ability to beat defenders one-on-one — qualities that stretch defensive lines and create space for Olmo and Pedri to exploit centrally. Oyarzabal operates as a mobile central striker who can drop deep, link play, and arrive late in the box — more false nine than traditional No. 9.

Defensively, Cubarsí and Laporte form a left-footed/right-footed partnership with complementary profiles: Cubarsí the progressive passer, Laporte the physical defender. Cucurella and Porro provide attacking width from full-back, with Grimaldo offering a more creative alternative from the bench.

Spain’s system is the most complete in international football — balanced between possession and verticality, youth and experience, individual quality and collective structure. The only vulnerability is Yamal’s fitness and, by extension, the depth of wide attacking options behind him and Nico Williams.

Group H outlook

Spain should dominate Group H:

• vs Cabo Verde (Atlanta, June 15) — Cabo Verde’s World Cup debut. Spain should control this match entirely and could rest Yamal if his hamstring is not fully ready. A comfortable win is the expectation.
• vs Saudi Arabia (Atlanta, June 21) — Saudi Arabia has World Cup experience (2022 group stage) but lacks the technical quality to trouble Spain’s midfield control. Another match Spain should win without significant stress.
• vs Uruguay (Guadalajara, June 27) — The group’s most competitive match. Uruguay under Marcelo Bielsa is aggressive, physical, and carries knockout-stage pedigree. This match determines group winner status and is Spain’s first genuine test.

Spain should win Group H with maximum points. The tournament’s structure means the knockout path is where the campaign is defined — and where Spain’s status as tournament favorites will be tested against opponents with the quality to disrupt their system.

Fan planning links

• Group H full analysis
• Atlanta host city guide
• Guadalajara host city guide
• How to watch legally
• Squad tracker — all 48 teams

Sources checked

• RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) official squad announcement
• Sports Mole / Sporting News Spain squad projections
• Mundo Deportivo Barcelona-heavy preliminary squad reporting
• Vietnam.vn / OneFootball Spain squad analysis
• Opta Analyst tournament predictions