MADRID (AP) — Injured forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were named to Spain’s World Cup squad on Monday, but for the first time La Roja will travel without any Real Madrid players.
Lamine Yamal and Williams sustained muscle injuries at the end of the season. Nevertheless, head coach Luis de la Fuente hopes they will be fit for the start of football’s marquee event.
“We’re very calm. If there are no setbacks, we should be able to rely on almost everyone from the outset. We’re coordinating with the medical services of the clubs,” De la Fuente said. “They will be ready for that first match. They’ll arrive in great form.”
Spain begins its Group H campaign against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta. They then face Saudi Arabia on June 21 in Atlanta and Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Defender Dean Huijsen was among Real Madrid players hoping for a spot in Spain’s squad, but he was left out.
“Fortunately I don’t look at where each player comes from,” he said. “I only look at whether the player can play with us. They are players for the national team, not for each club.”
The squad features eight players from Barcelona, champions of the Spanish league for the second year in a row. Real Madrid, for its part, has gone a second straight season without a major title.
Real Madrid will have World Cup players for other national teams, including Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, Brazilian Vinícius Júnior, and Englishman Jude Bellingham.
Barcelona midfielder Fermín López, who this month suffered a fracture to his right foot, was left out of Spain, as expected.
Midfielder Mikel Merino, who has only appeared once for Arsenal since injuring his foot in January, returned to the squad. Also included, despite a recent injury, is Paris Saint‑Germain midfielder Fabián Ruiz.
Spain’s preparations will begin on Saturday. They will play warm-up matches against Iraq on June 4 and Peru on June 9.
The national team recovered from a Round of 16 exit to Morocco in the 2022 World Cup by winning Euro 2024 in Germany. It also won the 2023 Nations League and finished as runners-up behind Portugal in the 2025 edition.
Spain has not advanced beyond the Round of 16 at the World Cup since its only title in 2010.
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan García (Barcelona)
Defenders: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Marcos Llorente (Atl. Madrid), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Eric García (Barcelona), Marc Pubill (Atl Madrid)
Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Gavi (Barcelona), Álex Baena (Atl Madrid)
Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Yéremi Pino (Crystal Palace), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Víctor Muñoz (Osasuna), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Ferran Torres (Barcelona)
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/mundial-de-futbol-fifa
