“There are 20-22 players we would like to have with us. We’ll see what happens.”
Luis de la Fuente made no attempt to deceive anyone during his press conference ahead of Spain’s third-to-last match before the official start of the World Cup in North America, where La Roja will face Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15. He has established a solid, cohesive core, and it doesn’t take much digging to find it—barring the intangibles he won’t be able to control until late May, namely injuries.
Unai Simón (57 caps) and David Raya (12) are set to be on the list. In recent years, they’ve split official minutes evenly, and there’s no reason to change that. The coach has opened the door for Joan García with his latest call-up, meaning Remiro can’t be considered a lock.
Pedro Porro (16 caps) and Marcos Llorente (23) are the chosen right-backs, unless there’s a dramatic shift in form from Carvajal (52 caps). Even a call-up for the Real Madrid man wouldn’t necessarily mean either of the two is left out—Llorente’s versatility would secure his spot.
Cucurella (23 caps) and Grimaldo (12) have been untouchable since Jordi Alba’s departure from the national team in the 2023 Nations League. At center-back, Laporte (44 caps), Cubarsí (11), and Huijsen (8) are fixed. The fourth spot will be contested among Le Normand, Mosquera, Pubill, or Eric García, whom De la Fuente admitted would have been called up had he not suffered physical issues. Vivian also appears to be in the conversation, though he’ll likely be on the preliminary list.
In the pivot role, Rodrigo (61 caps) and Zubimendi (25) are untouchable. Pedri (41 caps), Olmo (49), Fermín (8), and Baena (16) are also fixed as interior midfielders. Andalusian Fabián (41 caps), a major figure in the European Championship, and Mikel Merino (41 caps), who was in dazzling form for Spain before his injury, depend on their recoveries. Fornals, Soler, and Aleix are not fixed names.
Up front, Lamine (25 caps), Ferran (55), and Oyarzabal (52) have guaranteed spots. Víctor Muñoz has options after his standout performances in these two matches, while Yeremy Pino has almost always been called up under De la Fuente. De Frutos is also an option, and Gonzalo, though yet to debut, has impressed with the U-21s… Borja Iglesias is the favorite to board that train, but those names remain up in the air. Nico Williams (30 caps), already training with the group in Bilbao, will be on the list if he’s fully fit.
To sum up: Unai Simón, Raya, Porro, Llorente, Cubarsí, Huijsen, Laporte, Grimaldo, Cucurella, Rodrigo, Zubimendi, Pedri, Fermín, Olmo, Baena, Lamine, Ferran, Oyarzabal.
Three more: Merino, Fabián, and Nico, if they recover from their injuries. And Carvajal if he’s 100% fit. That would make 22.
That leaves three player spots and one goalkeeper spot. This time, at first glance, no major controversies loom. Players like Isco or Gavi, who might have sparked debate at some point, are not currently a point of discussion. Luis de la Fuente’s decision will be final in the last week of May.