‘United’ Spain first as Barcelona top absent Real Madrid in World Cup squad
Spain's World Cup squad features a notable absence of Real Madrid players, with coach Luis de la Fuente emphasizing the importance of the national team over club affiliations. The squad is heavily influenced by Barcelona, which includes eight players, while De la Fuente insists that his selections are based on sporting merit. Spain aims to secure their second World Cup title, opening their campaign against Cape Verde next month.
- ▪Luis de la Fuente announced a World Cup squad with no Real Madrid players for the first time.
- ▪The squad includes eight players from Barcelona, highlighting the club's dominance in the selection.
- ▪De la Fuente stated that the Spanish national team is more important than any individual club.
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Sport|World Cup 2026‘United’ Spain first as Barcelona top absent Real Madrid in World Cup squadReal’s absence from Spain’s World Cup squad, while Barca dominate picks, explained by coach as ‘united nation’ first.ListenListen (3 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoSpain coach Luis de la Fuente announces his World Cup squad on May 25 [Kacper Pempel/Reuters]By ReutersPublished On 26 May 202626 May 2026Luis de la Fuente has stressed that Spain’s badge outranks any club crest after naming a World Cup squad with a distinctly Barcelona hue and, for the first time, no Real Madrid player in sight.The European champions head into next month’s tournament among the favourites, with coach De la Fuente’s 26-man…
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