EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSpain coach Luis de la Fuente named a 26-man World Cup squad which features Lamine Yamal but is without any Real Madrid players on Monday, with defender Dean Huijsen joining Dani Carvajal in missing out.Spain -- who crashed out in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup but then won Euro 2024 in style -- are among the favorites to win this summer's tournament, kicking off against Cape Verde on June 15 before playing Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.De la Fuente said he wasn't concerned by fitness doubts over Yamal, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino, saying he had "no doubt" the trio would be ready for Spain's debut game in Atlanta.In an event in Madrid, de la Fuente named Athletic Club's Unai Simn, Arsenal's David Raya and Barcelona's Joan Garca as his three goalkeepers, with Real Sociedad's lex Remiro absent.In defense, de la Fuente included Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo, Pau Cubars, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Pubill, Eric Garca, Marcos Llorente and Pedro Porro.- 2026 World Cup injuries tracker: Which players are out?- World Cup kit ranking: Which teams will look best in 2026?- Ex-Chelsea captain Csar Azpilicueta announces retirementIn midfield, he named Pedri, Fabin Ruiz, Martn Zubimendi, Gavi, Rodri, lex Baena and Merino.Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo, Williams, Yremy Pino, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Vctor Muoz and Yamal make up the forward line.As well as Huijsen and Carvajal -- who hadn't made Spain's 55-player long list -- Atltico Madrid's Robin Le Normand was also omitted.Barcelona's Fermn Lpez is absent after suffering a broken foot."It's difficult," de la Fuente said when asked about leaving players out. "We think about every possible scenario that can happen in games with our opponents, and their characteristics. ... We've chosen these 26. I think we've covered the needs of the team. ... I don't look at whether they play for one team or another."De la Fuente also named nine "support players" including Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garca and Barcelona's Marc Bernal, who will be with the squad in training ahead of the tournament.Spain will play a pre-tournament friendly against Iraq in A Corua, Spain, on Thursday, June 4, before crossing the Atlantic for another friendly match with Peru in Puebla, Mexico, on June 8.De la Fuente said Spain's medical reports suggested Yamal, Williams and Merino -- who returned for Arsenal in their last game of the Premier League season on Sunday -- would be available to play Cape Verde on June 15."We're very calm," he said. "I think that if there are no setbacks, we can almost have everyone available from the first game. The doctor and fitness coach have been visiting the clubs and talking to them. We've been coordinating. ... I have no doubt they'll be ready for the first game, and if not, they'll be ready for the second."De la Fuente praised Carvajal -- who also said farewell to Madrid in their last game of the season at the Bernabu -- and former captain lvaro Morata, who led Spain at Euro 2024.They've left an unforgettable legacy of leadership," the coach said. "But the generation behind them are perfectly prepared, they're cut from the same cloth."Spain squad for 2026 World CupGoalkeepers: Unai Simn (Athletic Club), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garca (Barcelona)Defenders: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Pau Cubars (Barcelona), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club), lejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur), Eric Garca (Barcelona), Marcos Llorente (Atltico Madrid), Marc Pubill (Atltico Madrid)Midfielders: Gavi (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Martn Zubimendi (Arsenal), Fabin Ruiz (PSG), lex Baena (Atltico Madrid), Mikel Merino (Arsenal)Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Yremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo), Vctor Muoz (Osasuna)
