For the first time in 16 World Cups, Spain's national team squad contains zero Real Madrid players. Not one. Luis de la Fuente named his 26-man group on Tuesday and went full Barcelona — no Huijsen, no Carvajal, no Gonzalo García. Los Blancos, the most decorated club in football history, completely shut out.
The Huijsen omission landed hardest. The 21-year-old moved to Madrid from Bournemouth last summer for €62.5 million, played 27 La Liga games, and was named in the league's Team of the Season. His response was subtle but pointed — he reposted a graphic his father Donny shared showing exactly that recognition. No words needed.
De la Fuente's Barcelona gamble
The coach insists club politics play no part in his thinking. "I do not look at where players come from," he said. "I only evaluate whether they have the level to play for the Spanish national team." That's a clean line. It's also one that will be tested if Spain struggle and Madrid's players are watching at home.
What De la Fuente has done is double down on the Euro 2024 core. Lamine Yamal is in despite tearing his hamstring in April — the coach says he has "no doubt" the 18-year-old will be fit for the opener against Cape Verde on June 15. That's a significant bet on a teenager's recovery timeline. If Yamal isn't right, Spain's creative ceiling drops sharply, and anyone backing them at short odds should keep an eye on training updates over the next two weeks.
Álvaro Morata, who captained the country to the European title, is also out. De la Fuente is building for a future that doesn't include the veterans, which is either bold vision or reckless transition depending on how June goes.
Gavi's tears, Huijsen's fury
While Huijsen's camp simmered, Gavi wept. The Barcelona midfielder — 28 caps already, first capped at 17 — was in tears when his name was read out, with Yamal filming it on his phone at the training ground. Gavi missed Euro 2024 after an ACL injury in November 2023, then battled another setback earlier this season before forcing his way back into form.
"This one feels different after all the suffering — falling and getting back up twice in three years," Gavi wrote on Instagram. That's not PR. That's a player who genuinely thought he might have lost it.
Spain enter the tournament ranked second in the world, drawn in Group H against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. They were knocked out in the round of 16 by Morocco in 2022. De la Fuente's squad is younger, Barcelona-heavy, and carrying a point to prove. Whether snubbing Real Madrid entirely was a selection call or a statement, real presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme called it "a somewhat sad day" and warned the club must "make the right decisions" going forward. He's probably not wrong.
Socceroos, Messi, and the USA's family drama
Elsewhere in the World Cup build-up, Australia's Martin Boyle is fighting for his place after a devastating ACL injury cost him his spot in Qatar. He travelled with the squad anyway, became what he laughingly called the "vibes manager," and now he's back in the mix under Tony Popovic. "Every time I seem to get injured, I know I'm going to come back much stronger," Boyle said from the Socceroos' Florida camp. The belief is real. Whether the knee is, remains a genuine question at 32.
Lionel Messi limped off during Inter Miami's 6-4 win over Philadelphia Union on the weekend, sending Argentina into brief panic. Miami clarified it was muscle fatigue in his left hamstring — not a structural injury — but Messi turns 39 during the tournament. He's expected in Scaloni's 26-man squad announced June 1 for what would be his sixth World Cup, equalling Ronaldo's record. Argentina's odds are built around him lasting six weeks. That's the whole equation.
The USA squad was leaked before Mauricio Pochettino's official announcement, with Gio Reyna expected to be included despite a difficult few years at Borussia Mönchengladbach. His inclusion reignites the feud with Sebastian Berhalter — the two families were once so close that Claudio Reyna served as best man at Gregg Berhalter's wedding before everything collapsed in an extraordinary public fallout after Qatar 2022. Veteran Alexi Lalas isn't interested in hearing about pressure from the current group. "Cry me a river," he said bluntly, arguing this generation has been given more resources than any US team before it and needs to deliver. The group stage against Australia, England and others should theoretically be manageable. Should be.
Australian-born Adrian Segečić, who switched allegiances from the Socceroos to Croatia, missed the final squad cut but landed on Croatia's seven-player standby list after scoring 11 goals for Portsmouth this season. At 21, there's time. The decision to leave Australia's pathway for Croatia just got a little harder to defend in the short term.
