Real Madrid shut out of Spain’s World Cup squad as Huijsen misses the cut
· Yahoo Sports
For the first time in history, Spain will head to a World Cup without a single Real Madrid player in the squad.
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It is a stunning development for both club and country — one that once seemed unthinkable given Madrid’s historic influence on La Roja. But Luis de la Fuente’s final 26-man selection has confirmed what had been increasingly feared in Valdebebas over the past weeks: Real Madrid will have no representation at the tournament.
Dean Huijsen, viewed as the club’s final realistic hope of inclusion, was ultimately left out of the squad. The young center-back had emerged as the only viable Madrid-linked option after Dani Carvajal’s long-term knee injury effectively ruled him out of contention months ago, while Alvaro Carreras’s form and playing time dipped significantly in the past couple months. Carvajal, who suffered his injury in October 2024, did not even make Spain’s preliminary 55-man list due to ongoing concerns surrounding his recovery.
That left Huijsen carrying the hopes of avoiding an unprecedented moment in Spanish football history. Instead, De la Fuente opted for other defensive profiles, closing the door on Madrid’s presence entirely.
Fran García and Gonzalo García had only been considered emergency alternatives rather than serious candidates for the final list.
The omission is historically significant. Across Spain’s 16 previous World Cup appearances, Real Madrid had always supplied at least one player to the national team. The only remotely comparable case came before the modern World Cup era itself — at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, where Spain won silver without Madrid representation.
This latest squad selection further highlights the changing balance of power within Spain’s national setup. Barcelona once again lead the way in representation and now remain the only club to have contributed players to every Spanish World Cup squad in history. Even in years of reduced influence, Barça still maintained a minimum presence; their lowest total came in 1934, 2002, and 2006, when three players were selected.
The complete squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón, David Raya, Joan García.
Defenders: Pedro Porro, Marcos Llorente, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Pubill, Eric García, Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo.
Midfielders: Rodri, Martín Zubimendi, Pedri, Mikel Merino, Fabián Ruiz, Dani Olmo, Gavi.
Forwards: Nico Williams, Álex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Yeremy Pino, Lamine Yamal, Víctor Muñoz.