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Rabat – For the first time in Spain’s World Cup history, no Real Madrid players have been named in the national team squad.
Manager Luis de la Fuente announced his 26‑man list on Monday, with eight representatives from Barcelona and others from clubs across La Liga, the Premier League, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga.
Spain has taken part in 17 World Cups since 1934, and Madrid players have always been present. Even in 1950, when only one Madrid player, Luis Molowny, was selected, the club still had representation.
This year marks a complete break with tradition.
The closest candidate was Dean Huijsen, a 21‑year‑old centre‑back who impressed last year while at Bournemouth.
Since joining Madrid for $50 million, his form has dipped, and De la Fuente chose Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi and Atletico’s Marc Pubill instead.
Decline of Madrid’s spanish core
Veteran right‑back Dani Carvajal, vice‑captain of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning side, has fallen out of contention due to injuries and poor form.
His contract at Madrid expires this summer, and he was not even included in the provisional squad.
Other names faded too. Fran Garcia earned two caps in 2023 but has not been recalled. Raul Asencio was briefly called up in 2025 but never played.
Young striker Gonzalo Garcia remains with the under‑21s, while left‑back Alvaro Carreras has struggled in his first season at the Bernabeu.
Madrid had hoped a new generation, Huijsen, Carreras, Garcia, would form a Spanish core under coach Xabi Alonso, but his dismissal in January and continued instability under Alvaro Arbeloa ended that plan.
Madrid’s international players also suffered. Trent Alexander‑Arnold missed out on England’s squad, Eduardo Camavinga lost his place with France, and Argentine teenager Franco Mastantuono disappointed in his first season.
By contrast, winger Victor Munoz, sold to Osasuna last summer, thrived with seven goals and five assists. He scored on his Spain debut in March and is now heading to the World Cup.
Madrid will still be represented at the tournament by foreign stars: Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni with France, Vinicius Junior with Brazil, Jude Bellingham with England, Arda Guler with Turkey, and Federico Valverde with Uruguay.
Barcelona’s strong presence
Barcelona dominate Spain’s squad with eight players, including La Masia graduates Cubarsi, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal, who will make his World Cup debut.
The balance recalls Spain’s golden era in 2010, when Guardiola’s Barcelona provided the backbone of the team, alongside key Madrid figures such as Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, and Xabi Alonso.
De la Fuente dismissed talk of bias, saying, “I don’t look at clubs. They are national team players, and I want them to feel proud to represent Spain.”
But the issue was seized upon by Enrique Riquelme, the businessman challenging Florentino Perez in Madrid’s presidential election.
He argued that the lack of Madrid players in Spain’s squad showed the need for change at the Bernabeu.
For Madrid fans, the disappointment of a trophyless season now extends to the World Cup stage, where Spain will compete without a single representative from the country’s most decorated club.
