Nine Barcelona stars included in Spain preliminary World Cup squad; two notable absentees | Barca Universal

"Spain manager Luis de la Fuente officially submitted the team's 55-man preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup to FIFA on Monday, and once again, FC Barcelona feature heavily in the national team setup."

"Barcelona continue to form one of the foundations of the Spanish national side, with as many as nine players from the Blaugrana squad included in the preliminary squad. Indeed, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Fermin Lopez, all regulars in the La Roja setup, have been included and are expected to make it to the final 26-man list."

"Among the biggest developments are the inclusions of Gavi and Eric Garcia, both of whom return to the national team picture after impressive seasons under Hansi Flick. Gavi's comeback has been particularly significant after his long injury lay-off, while Garcia's consistency and versatility have earned him renewed recognition from the Spain manager."

"However, there are two notable absentees from the Barcelona squad who have not made the cut for the Spain World Cup roster - Gerard Martin and Alejandro Balde. Martin has grown in importance during the second half of the season and established himself as a key starter as the left-sided centre-back alongside Cubarsi. But he has ultimately missed out on this initial selection with Spain."

Spain submitted a 55-man preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup to FIFA. Barcelona players are heavily represented, with nine Blaugrana names included among the probables. Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Fermín López are regulars expected to reach the final 26-man list. Gavi and Eric García return after strong seasons, with Gavi’s comeback following a long injury layoff and García’s consistency and versatility earning renewed recognition. Joan García is also included after making his Spain debut in March. Gerard Martín and Alejandro Balde are absent, with left-back competition favoring Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Sergio Gómez.

Read at Barca Universal