Historic First: Spain's World Cup Squad Features No Real Madrid Players

The Spanish national football team is set to embark on an unprecedented historical phase, participating in the upcoming World Cup finals without any players from Real Madrid. This marks a first in "La Roja's" World Cup history. Coach Luis de la Fuente finalized his decision to exclude all members of the Royal Club from the official squad, with defender Dean Huijsen being the last name to be dropped after being considered in the final stages of selection.

This squad breaks a tradition observed in 16 previous editions of the global tournament, as no Spanish delegation has ever been without at least one Real Madrid representative throughout history. While a serious knee injury prevented Dani Carvajal from being included in the initial extended squad since October 2024, the final list also did not feature names like Fran García or Gonzalo, who were only considered as emergency options. The only previous instance of Real Madrid players being absent from the final stages of a major tournament dates back to the 1920 Olympic Games.

With this selection, Barcelona has become the sole sports institution to have maintained player representation in all of Spain's World Cup appearances, surpassing the record it previously shared with Real Madrid. The Spanish national team's journey is officially set to begin on June 5th, starting from Santiago de Compostela, in a mission where Spain aims to move past the memories of the 1950 World Cup, which saw the presence of only one Real Madrid player, Luis Molowny.