Spain World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

Spain are 1 of nan large favourites successful North America this summertime – and nan squad that Luis de la Fuente has picked has only reinforced that. He has a well-balanced and competitory group that believes successful nan benignant of shot that has already yielded awesome success. The European champions are dreaming of stitching a 2nd prima supra their crest.

Much of nan media attraction has inevitably fallen connected Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, whose imagination, productivity and characteristic has transformed nan Spain frontline into a existent force. His partner successful crime, Nico Williams, has deed shape successful nan last weeks of nan play astatine Athletic Bilbao. The 2 wingers were a revelation astatine Euro 2024, injecting freshness into a squad that still dominates nan ball. “Do we deliberation we’re favourites? Yes. Can we triumph nan World Cup? Yes. But that doesn’t guarantee anything,” De la Fuente has said.

There is value correct done a squad that will look Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde astatine nan group stage. De la Fuente has a bully benignant of headache successful goal, pinch nan regular No 1, Unai Simón, being pushed difficult by David Raya and Joan García, who travel into nan tourney disconnected nan backmost of fantabulous seasons pinch Arsenal and Barcelona respectively. At nan back, Eric García has been recalled aft becoming 1 of Barça’s astir reliable defenders pinch and without nan ball. The mediate of nan parkland continues to beryllium nan jewel successful nan Spain crown pinch technicians specified arsenic Pedri, Gavi and Martín Zubimendi who embody a style of play built connected possession and control, not to mention nan prima powerfulness of Rodri and Fabián Ruiz.

Add to that nan flair of Lamine Yamal and Williams, positive nan goalscoring small heart of Mikel Oyarzabal – a striker who produces successful nan large moments – backed up by Ferran Torres and Borja Iglesias. Goals shouldn’t beryllium a problem for a squad that scored 21 successful six qualifiers, winning 5 and drafting one. De la Fuente has nan cleanable blend of younker and experience, prodigious talent and maturity, and axenic ambition.

The coach

Luis de la Fuente has turned Spain into a fiercely competitory and agreed team. His style of play combines nan accepted possession-based crippled of caller decades pinch a greater directness and tactical flexibility. The erstwhile under-21 coach is known for his connection and man-management skills, creating a patient and competitory situation wrong nan group. He led La Roja to their 3rd European title successful 2024 pinch immoderate superb shot and has not been acrophobic to make immoderate large calls for his World Cup squad this clip around, pinch nary Real Madrid players selected for nan first time. “I don’t look astatine whether they travel from 1 nine aliases another. They’re each Spain players,” he said.

Star player

All eyes will beryllium connected Lamine Yamal arsenic nan talented teen will characteristic for Spain astatine his first World Cup. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

Lamine Yamal will beryllium nan centre of attraction astatine his first World Cup. The teen will observe his 19th day connected 13 July, nan time earlier nan semi-finals get nether way, and yet his immense talent intends he will transportation nan hopes of a federation connected his shoulders. Cheeky and creative, nan winger plays for illustration he’s conscionable having a kickabout pinch his mates but has go a earthy leader wrong nan nationalist squad already. He played a large portion successful nan Euro 2024 triumph and now steps connected to nan world stage. A musculus problem has affected nan extremity of his play astatine Barcelona but nary 1 doubts his expertise to execute nether unit connected nan biggest stage.

One to watch

Víctor Muñoz was nan astonishment inclusion successful Luis de la Fuente’s squad. The 22-year-old winger has enjoyed a breakthrough play astatine Osasuna aft leaving Real Madrid, who still ain 50% of his rights. Having clocked 35kph this campaign, he is 1 of nan fastest players successful La Liga and makes very vulnerable runs successful behind. A nonstop dribbler, Muñoz could make a existent quality disconnected nan chair for Spain this summer. He scored connected his first headdress successful March, a 3-0 triumph against Serbia.

Unsung hero

Eric García seldom makes nan headlines. The erstwhile Manchester City subordinate has softly gone astir his business astatine Barcelona, becoming a cardinal fig for Hansi Flick acknowledgment to his intelligence, positioning and composure erstwhile bringing nan shot retired from nan back. The 25-year-old has grown successful maturity and is an organiser, often dictating play from centre-back aliases moreover midfield. Reliable and consistent, García is now reaping nan rewards: this is his first clip successful nan Spain squad since 2022. “Since past I had to activity a lot, without making noise, to beryllium better,” he says.

Probable starting XI

What to expect from fans astatine games?

Spain fans often recreation to awesome tournaments successful large numbers, pulled on by nan team’s charismatic style of play and caller success. You sometimes spot supporters dressed arsenic bullfighters aliases waving Spain flags pinch bulls connected them. Although it does not correspond nan assortment and diverseness of nan state arsenic a whole, they are symbols that travel nan nationalist squad and shape portion of nan imagination. Manolo ‘el del bombo’ (the man pinch nan drum) was a changeless beingness astatine tournaments and, aft his decease past year, Spain fans still hit drums successful his honour.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump?

Relations betwixt Spain and nan US are not good. Pedro Sánchez, nan socialist premier minister, has been 1 of nan astir outspoken opponents of Donald Trump’s warfare successful Iran and refused to fto him usage subject bases successful Spain for attacks. In consequence Trump said “Spain has been terrible” and threatened to trim disconnected trade. But this conflict will not dampen nan enthusiasm of travelling supporters and neither nan players aliases nan shot federation person commented connected nan situation. There have, however, been complaints astir summons prices and recreation costs, and location are reservations complete nan US’s continued engagement successful Iran and their confederation pinch Israel successful Gaza.

Written by Nadia Tronchoni for El País.