Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has named a 26-player squad for the start of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League, making four changes to the group that won the World Cup. Uncapped Espanyol forward Roberto Fernández and Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martínez earn first-time call-ups, while Dean Huijsen and Fermín López return from injury. Marcos Llorente has retired from international football, and Gavi, Joan García, and Borja Iglesias were left out.
Winning the World Cup didn’t buy anyone a permanent spot in Luis de la Fuente‘s squad — not even four of the players who helped lift the trophy.
Two New Faces Earn Their Shot
Roberto Fernández, a 24-year-old Espanyol attacker who had never previously been capped, has scored six goals in six LaLiga matches so far this season — a return bettered only by Barcelona’s Raphinha and Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé. That form was enough to earn him a place in attack ahead of Borja Iglesias.
In goal, Inter Milan’s Josep Martínez returns to the squad for the first time since June 2021, when he made his lone previous appearance for Spain under unusual circumstances — handed a debut against Lithuania after several first-team players were forced into COVID-19 isolation. His recall this time comes with Barcelona’s Joan García sidelined by a right knee injury sustained in a fall during a Racing match.
Key Returns and Notable Absences
Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen and Barcelona midfielder Fermín López are both back after working their way through injuries and rediscovering form at club level. López missed Spain’s World Cup triumph entirely due to a foot injury.
Not everyone is coming back, though. Marcos Llorente has retired from international football, opening the door for Barcelona’s Eric García to step into a right-back role he’s played regularly at club level this season. Gavi, meanwhile, misses out due to a recurring knee problem that’s limited his playing time for Barcelona — a significant absence that will force De la Fuente to reshape his midfield and redistribute creative responsibilities.
The squad will begin training at Spain’s Las Rozas facilities in the coming days as De la Fuente looks to build on the team’s World Cup-winning momentum.
A Politically Charged Backdrop
Part of De la Fuente’s squad announcement included a video filmed in Ceuta, Spain’s North African exclave currently grappling with a migration crisis. The Spanish football federation said the video was intended to show support for the city and its residents.
The gesture followed a separate, related controversy days earlier: Real Madrid’s Mbappé and Ibrahima Konaté, along with Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior, rolled up their pre-match t-shirts to reveal the message “We are all Ceutans” ahead of a league win over Elche — a display that drew sharp criticism from conservative and far-right politicians in Spain.
The Fixtures Ahead
Spain, fresh off their World Cup title, open their Nations League campaign away to England at Wembley on September 26. Three days later, they host Croatia in Seville, before welcoming the Czech Republic to Oviedo on October 3. The window closes with a return trip to Croatia on October 6.
The Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón, David Raya, Josep Martínez
Defenders: Pedro Porro, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Vivián, Dean Huijsen, Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo
Midfielders: Rodri, Martín Zubimendi, Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, Fermín López
Forwards: Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Roberto Fernández, Lamine Yamal, Víctor Muñoz
