Spain buck 92-year trend by snubbing Real Madrid for World Cup

For the first time in the nation's illustrious history, Spain will head to the World Cup without a single Real Madrid player in the squad. 

Head coach Luis de la Fuente officially unveiled his 26-man squad on Monday, May 25, for the tournament set to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

The absence of Los Blancos representatives signifies a first; since Spain first qualified for the World Cup back in 1934, there has always been at least one Real Madrid player on the squad.

In a remarkably sharp contrast to Madrid, their arch-rivals Barcelona dominate the list, boasting a staggering eight invited players: Joan García, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, and 18-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal.

The omission continues the downward trend regarding Real Madrid’s domestic core on the international stage. Just two tournaments ago, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the capital club was well represented with six players (Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernández, Marco Asensio, Isco, and Lucas Vázquez) making Luis Enrique's squad. 

That footprint dwindled by the time the 2022 World Cup in Qatar came around, with only two Madridistas (Carvajal and Asensio) making the cut. 

Now, with veteran right-back Carvajal falling out of contention following an injury-hit campaign and prospects like Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras overlooked by De la Fuente, the streak has definitively ended. ]

As the reigning UEFA Euro 2024 champions prepare to open their Group H campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, they will attempt to capture their second Mundial following their iconic 2010 FIFA World Cup triumph, without relying on a single talent from the Santiago Bernabéu.