Luis de la Fuente submits Spain's preliminary squad for 2026 World Cup

As Spanish national team manager Luis de la Fuente has submitted his preliminary list of players for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, we break down the likely candidates by position and highlight the most significant inclusions.

As per competition regulations, Spain have sent a preliminary squad of 35 to 55 players to FIFA and, while this document will not be made public, the final 26-man roster for the tournament will be from selected from this list.

A key regulation for this World Cup is that no player left off this initial longlist can be called up later, even to replace an injured member of the final squad, which accounts for the inclusion of some currently injured players and promising young talents.

Goalkeepers

There are few surprises between the posts, with familiar names like Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Álex Remiro (Real Sociedad) and Joan García (Barcelona) expected to be on the list.

Defenders

At full-back, Pedro Porro (Tottenham) and Marcos Llorente (Atlético de Madrid) are the leading options on the right, while Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) and Álex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen) are the top choices on the left.

In central defence, Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao) and Pau Cubarsí (FC Barcelona) are considered the preferred pairing, with Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid) also in contention.

Other defenders likely to be included to provide depth are Pau Torres (Aston Villa), Eric García (Barcelona), Robin Le Normand (Atlético Madrid), Christian Mosquera (Arsenal) and Dani Vivian (Athletic Bilbao).

Midfielders

The midfield core appears settled, with the inclusion of Pedri González, Dani Olmo, Fermín López, and Pablo Gavi (all from Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Fabián Ruiz (PSG) and Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid) seen as certainties.

Players with an outside chance of making the cut include Isco and Pablo Fornals (Real Betis), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Carlos Soler (Real Sociedad), Aleix Garcia (Bayer Leverkusen), Pablo Barrios (Atlético Madrid), and Barcelona's Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal.

Forwards

The attacking lineup features several key players considered essential to the squad: Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao) and Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad).

A host of other forwards are vying for the remaining spots, including Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo), Yéremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Víctor Muñoz (Osasuna), Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad), Alberto Moleiro (Villarreal), Jesús Rodríguez (Real Betis), Jorge de Frutos (Rayo Vallecano), Jan Virgili (Mallorca) and Ansu Fati (AS Monaco).

Final Squad Announcement Date

As Luis de la Fuente has two more weeks to finalise his selections, the definitive 26-man squad is expected to be announced on May 25th at an event which will be held at the Ciudad Deportiva de Las Rozas in Madrid.