The publication of Spain's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup continues to generate much discussion in Spain. One fact in particular stands out: no Real Madrid players are included in the squad announced by Luis de la Fuente.

This is a historic situation for La Roja, the reigning European champions, who will participate in the World Cup being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with FC Barcelona expected to dominate. No fewer than eight Barcelona players have been called up, including stars Lamine Yamal and Pedri.

The Catalan press didn't miss the opportunity to taunt their arch-rivals from Madrid, already weakened by a season that ended without a major trophy. The sports dailies Mundo Deportivo and Sport featured a provocative "8-0" on their front pages, a reference to the number of Barcelona players selected for the World Cup compared to zero for Real Madrid. Mundo Deportivo referred to a "Roja Culé" (Barça's national team), while Sport spoke of a "World Defeat," asserting that "Barça will once again manage the Spanish national team at a World Cup."

For its part, L'Esportiu chose the headline "World Power" to illustrate the growing influence of the Catalan club within the Spanish national team coached by Hansi Flick. According to statistics reported by the Spanish media, the gap between the number of players called up from Barça and Real Madrid has never been so significant since 1934. One also has to go back to 1994 to find so many Catalan players called up to La Roja.

Faced with the numerous reactions sparked by the absence of the Madrid players, Luis de la Fuente sought to calm the debate. The Spanish coach asserted that the selection criteria were based solely on the players' sporting ability.

“I am not interested in a player’s original club. I have already repeated this several times. My only criterion is whether he has the level and qualities to play with us,” explained the Spanish coach.