No Real Madrid player has been included in Luis de la Fuente’ 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup—marking a first in the national team’s history.
The manager announced his final team on Monday, with the absence of any Madrid star the biggest talking point in his selection.
This marks the first time in history that Spain will send a team to the World Cup without a single representative from Real Madrid. Meanwhile, eight players from Barcelona’s title-winning side have made the cut, as have three Atlético Madrid stars.
The most notable Los Blancos absentees are defensive duo Dani Carvajal and Dean Huijsen, who many had expected to be included.
Carvajal and Huijsen Fail to Make the Cut
Estos nueve jugadores nos acompañarán en los entrenamientos y nos apoyarán hasta el partido ante Irak en A Coruña.#VamosEspaña | #CopaMundialFIFA pic.twitter.com/RuO08CTqpB
— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) May 25, 2026
Carvajal, who played his final match as a Real Madrid player on Saturday, was left out of the March internationals, but had been given encouragement by De la Fuente in recent weeks, who described the veteran right back as “our captain.”
Huijsen, meanwhile, was arguably a more eyebrow-raising omission having made seven appearances for Spain under De la Fuente in the last two years.
Less surprisingly, there was no place either for outside bets from Madrid like Álvaro Carreras, Raúl Asencio, Fran García, Dani Ceballos or Gonzalo García. The latter, however, will join training with the team before the set off for America.
The shunning of Madrid stars is the latest low note in a dreadful season for the club, who ended the campaign trophyless while mired in off-field drama.
‘I Don’t Look at Where Players Come From’—De La Fuente
Addressing the media following the announcement of Spain’s World Cup roster, De la Fuente denied his selection had anything to do with the club affiliation.
“Fortunately, I don’t look at where each player comes from,” he told reporters. “I only look at whether the player can play with us. They are national team players, not players from individual clubs. I don’t think I have any ulterior motives. I can’t give advice to anyone. I just want the players to be proud to represent our country.”
When pressed on the absence of Huijsen, De la Fuente redirected the conversation to the players he had included.
“I want to talk about why Eric [García] and [Marc] Pubill are coming,” he said. “They’ve performed very well this season. I have to make decisions, and we felt it was the right time. That’s why we made this decision. I already said I was going to look at players who haven’t been with us.”
On Spain’s chances of lifting the trophy for the first time since 2010, the manager answered: “We are among the favorites, but this doesn’t guarantee anything. There are teams at the same level. France, England, Brazil ... they are just as much contenders as we are. In football, you can lose even when you are superior to your opponent. We will fight for everything.”
Huijsen Hits Back at Omission
Following the announcement, Huijsen appeared to show his displeasure at being left out with a post on social media.
The defender shared his father’s Instagram story which showed a graphic of Sofascore’s Team of the Season—an XI that included his son.
The 21-year-old defender has endured a mixed first season at Real Madrid after his transfer from Bournemouth last summer.
After a rocky start, he developed into one of Madrid’s more consistent performers, making 40 appearances in all competitions. The youngster has, however, struggled at times to stand out in a difficult season for the club.
Poor Madrid Stars Can Have Few Complaints
Back in 2022, then Spain manager Luis Enrique set tounges wagging after naming a roster that included just two Real Madrid players: Dani Carvajal and Marco Asensio.
Luis Enrique was called out by Los Blancos fans as an anti-Madridista for his selection four years ago, but the dissenting voices will be nowhere near as strong this time around. The roster is ultimately a reflection of Madrid’s dismal season.
An injury-hit campaign has stopped Carvajal getting the send-off he deserves, while De le Fuente has opted for the form and fitness of Marcos Llorente (Atlético Madrid) and Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur) over the out-of-contract 34-year-old at right back.
Meanwhile, Huijsen’s at-times unconvincing first season at Real Madrid has seen him fall behind Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Eric García and Pau Cubarsi (both Barcelona) in the pecking order of center backs.
By contrast, Spain’s 2010 World Cup winning team had five Real Madrid representatives, while the Euros-winning class of 2024 had three.
