This is the first time in history that Real Madrid has not contributed any players to the Spanish national team for the World Cup. Meanwhile, their arch-rival Barcelona has eight players called up, even young star Yamal, who is not yet recovered from injury, is included. Sharing his thoughts on the decision, coach De la Fuente stated: “I don’t care about the players’ backgrounds. I don’t favor any particular region or club; all I want is for the players to feel proud to represent their national team.”

Despite not having fully recovered from his injury, Yamal is still included in the Spanish national team's squad for the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Getty

Amidst controversy over the exclusion of a host of experienced veterans such as Ramos, De Gea, Carvajal, Vazquez, Asensio, and Morata, coach De la Fuente stated that it was the most difficult personnel decision of his career. “They have left an unforgettable legacy. But the next generation has been thoroughly prepared; they possess the same qualities. If I choose experience, people will say I’m afraid of change. If I choose young players, people will say I lack respect for the legends. My greatest responsibility is not to please the players, but to give the national team the best chance to win the 2026 World Cup,” emphasized coach De la Fuente.

Although coach De la Fuente has his reasons and is ultimately responsible for Spain's performance at the 2026 World Cup, the absence of any Real Madrid players in the squad is a major shock, as the club has been considered a crucial backbone of La Roja for many years. Despite Real Madrid ending the 2025-2026 season without any trophies, the team still possesses top-quality domestic players.

Commenting on the issue, Enrique Riquelme, a candidate for the Real Madrid presidency, stated: “This is a sad day for Real Madrid and it is truly worrying. The fact that Real Madrid does not have any players from the Spanish national team this time reflects a situation that needs to be re-evaluated within the club. The club needs to make the right decisions to reverse this situation in the future.”

Besides the controversy surrounding the absence of Real Madrid players from the 2026 World Cup squad, coach De la Fuente also showed decisiveness by including Yamal, despite the young Barcelona star not yet being fully recovered from injury. Sharing his thoughts on Yamal's selection, Coach De la Fuente said: “We are very calm. I think that if there are no obstacles, we can almost have a full squad for the first match.”

Following their Euro 2024 victory, highlighted by the brilliant performances of their rising stars, the Spanish national team continues to place its faith in youth in their quest to conquer the 2026 World Cup. Coach De la Fuente has shown great foresight in choosing the future over the past glory of veteran stars. La Roja will play friendly matches against Iraq on June 4th and Peru on June 8th before officially embarking on their 2026 World Cup campaign.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/quoc-te/chon-tuong-lai-thay-vi-hao-quang-qua-khu-1041414