Spain are heading to the 2026 World Cup in North America as one of the big favourites, which is a nice change of pace from their usual tradition of arriving as the team that passes the ball beautifully before going home in the quarter-finals. Luis de la Fuente has assembled a squad that already won Euro 2024 and now dreams of stitching a second star above their crest, because one star is so last century. The European champions are a well-balanced, competitive group that believes in the sort of football that has already yielded great success - possession, control, and the occasional moment where Lamine Yamal does something that makes your jaw drop.
Speaking of Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona teenager will be the centre of attention at his first World Cup, which is a lot of pressure for someone who won't even turn 19 until 13 July - the day before the semi-finals get under way. The winger plays like he's just having a kickabout with his mates, which is both charming and terrifying for opponents. His partner in crime, Nico Williams, has hit form at Athletic Bilbao in the final weeks of the season, and the two wingers were a revelation at Euro 2024, injecting freshness into a team that still dominates the ball like it owes them money. "Do we think we're favourites? Yes. Can we win the World Cup? Yes. But that doesn't guarantee anything," De la Fuente said, expertly hedging his bets.
There is quality right through a squad that will face Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde at the group stage - a draw that ranges from "formidable South American power" to "please don't underestimate the underdogs." De la Fuente has a good kind of headache in goal, with the regular No 1, Unai Simón, being pushed hard by David Raya and Joan García, who come into the tournament off the back of excellent seasons with Arsenal and Barcelona respectively. At the back, Eric García has been recalled after becoming one of Barça's most reliable defenders, which is the kind of quiet success story that rarely makes headlines but definitely makes saves. The middle of the park continues to be the jewel in the Spain crown with technicians such as Pedri, Gavi, and Martín Zubimendi who embody a style of play built on possession and control, not to mention the star power of Rodri and Fabián Ruiz.
Add to that the flair of Lamine Yamal and Williams, plus the goalscoring instinct of Mikel Oyarzabal - a striker who produces in the big moments - backed up by Ferran Torres and Borja Iglesias. Goals shouldn't be a problem for a team that scored 21 in six qualifiers, winning five and drawing one. De la Fuente has the perfect blend of youth and experience, prodigious talent and maturity, and pure ambition - plus the notable absence of any Real Madrid players for the first time, a decision he explained by saying, "I don't look at whether they come from one club or another. They're all Spain players." Sure, Luis. Sure.
Lamine Yamal will be the centre of attention at his first World Cup, carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders while also dealing with a muscle problem that affected the end of his season at Barcelona. But no one doubts his ability to perform under pressure on the biggest stage, because when you can dribble past three defenders while looking like you're waiting for a bus, pressure is just a suggestion. Víctor Muñoz was the surprise inclusion in the squad, a 22-year-old winger who has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Osasuna after leaving Real Madrid - who still own 50% of his rights, because Real Madrid are contractually obligated to have a stake in everything. Having clocked 35kph this campaign, he is one of the fastest players in La Liga and makes very dangerous runs in behind, which should terrify defenders who are still recovering from Yamal's stepovers.
Eric García rarely makes the headlines, which is probably fine with him. The former Manchester City player has quietly gone about his business at Barcelona, becoming a key figure for Hansi Flick thanks to his intelligence, positioning, and composure when bringing the ball out from the back. At 25, he has grown in maturity and is an organiser, often dictating play from centre-back or even midfield. "Since then I had to work a lot, without making noise, to be better," he says, which is the most Eric García sentence ever uttered.
Spain fans often travel to major tournaments in big numbers, pulled along by the team's attractive style of play and recent success. You sometimes see supporters dressed as bullfighters or waving Spain flags with bulls on them, symbols that do not represent the variety and diversity of the country as a whole but form part of the imagination anyway. Manolo 'el del bombo' (the man with the drum) was a constant presence at tournaments and, after his death last year, Spain fans still beat drums in his honour - because some traditions are too loud to die. Relations between Spain and the US are not good, with Pedro Sánchez opposing Donald Trump's war in Iran and Trump responding by saying "Spain has been terrible" and threatening to cut off trade. But this conflict will not dampen the enthusiasm of travelling supporters, and neither the players nor the football federation have commented on the situation - probably because they're busy focusing on the football and not the geopolitical minefield.