Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has included injured Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal in his 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the selection notable for containing no Real Madrid players for the first time.

Yamal, 18, has been sidelined since tearing his left hamstring in a Barcelona match on 22 April, missing the final month of the club season. De la Fuente remains confident the forward will be fit in time.

We're very relaxed. Barring any setbacks, we'll have everyone available from the very first match.

Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has also been managing a hamstring problem, earned his place in the squad alongside Yamal among the six forwards drawn from a mix of Spanish and European clubs.

No Real Madrid representation

Defenders Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal, both of Real Madrid, were omitted from the squad entirely, leaving the reigning European champions without a single representative in a Spain squad for the first time.

Uncapped defenders Eric Garcia and Marc Pubill earned call-ups on the back of strong seasons with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid respectively.

Merino returns from injury

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino is included after making his return from a stress fracture in the foot — an injury that kept him out for four months — in the Gunners' final Premier League fixture of the season on Sunday.

Merino is one of seven Premier League-based players in the squad. His Arsenal clubmates David Raya and Martin Zubimendi are also named, alongside Tottenham's Pedro Porro, Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, Manchester City's Rodri, and Crystal Palace's Yeremy Pino.

Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, by contrast, will miss the tournament after being ruled out last week with a broken foot.

De la Fuente spoke of the atmosphere surrounding the squad ahead of the tournament.

Excitement is the key word. Passion. The reaction of people all over Spain — adults and children alike — is that they are fully behind the national team.

Spain's group stage fixtures

Spain face debutants Cape Verde on 15 June, Saudi Arabia on 21 June, and Uruguay on 26 June in Group H. The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs from 11 June to 19 July.

Full Spain squad

Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garcia (Barcelona).

Defenders: Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen).

Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Gavi (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (Paris St-Germain), Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid).

Forwards: Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Victor Munoz (Osasuna), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo).