Spain World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. The plan Spain are one of the big favourites in North America this summer – and the squad that Luis de la Fuente has picked has only reinforced that. He has a well-balanced and competitive group that believes in the sort of football that has already yielded great success. The European champions are dreaming of stitching a second star above their crest. Much of the media focus has inevitably fallen on Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, whose imagination, creativity and personality has transformed the Spain frontline into a real force. His partner in crime, Nico Williams, has hit form in the final weeks of the season at Athletic Bilbao. The two wingers were a revelation at Euro 2024, injecting freshness into a team that still dominates the ball. “Do we think we’re favourites? Yes. Can we win the World Cup ? Yes. But that doesn’t guarantee anything,” De la Fuente has said. …