Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente announced his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on Monday, making history by excluding Real Madrid players entirely for the first time.
The selection heavily favors domestic champions Barcelona, who have eight representatives in the final roster.
The omission of Real Madrid stars has stunned the capital city, as reported by Goal.
Notable absentees include defender Dean Huijsen and veteran Dani Carvajal, who recently returned to fitness.
Striker Alvaro Morata, who captained Spain to victory at Euro 2024, was also left out alongside Atletico Madrid defender Robin Le Normand.
According to Sportbible, Huijsen expressed dissatisfaction before the announcement by sharing his inclusion in the Sofascore team of the season on Instagram.
The 21-year-old center-back registered a higher statistical rating than his compatriots Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia, both of whom secured spots in the squad.
Barcelona midfielders Gavi and Pedri join Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Joan Garcia, and Lamine Yamal on the plane to North America.
Yamal remains a major doubt for the opening match, while his club teammate Fermin Lopez was ruled out after fracturing a metatarsal against Real Betis.
De la Fuente expressed immense confidence in his squad, which features Premier League talent like Rodri, David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino.
The 64-year-old coach feels his team is fully prepared to challenge for the title alongside other global football powerhouses.
"We have to be cautious, despite being favourites," said Luis de la Fuente.
The manager acknowledged the mental toll of finalizing his selection from the initial 55-man preliminary squad list.
"We have to go with our feet on the ground.
I don’t shy away, we are favourites, but we’re equally as favourites as England or France," he added.
The manager emphasized that the evaluation of talent requires significant dedication, though cutting players remains difficult.
"The most critical process is scouting players, but the most painful part is leaving out players who are good enough to be there," said de la Fuente.
In contrast to the omissions, winger Yeremy Pino celebrated his inclusion in the national squad, as reported by USA Today.
The call-up gives Pino a major boost ahead of competing for Villarreal against Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig on Wednesday night.
Spain will fine-tune their tournament preparation with two friendly matches against Iraq and Mexico.
The 2010 world champions will subsequently start their Group H campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta, followed by fixtures against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
