The 26 Players Who Will Aim to Reclaim World Cup Glory

The long wait is over. The iconic Telefónica building, located at number 28 on Madrid’s Gran Vía, was the chosen venue for the official presentation of the players who will defend the national team’s colours at the World Cup to be held in North America.

At 12:30, as scheduled, the event began, generating unprecedented anticipation and global attention. The President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rafael Louzán, was the first to address the media. He welcomed those present before highlighting the excitement surrounding both the Federation and the entire country ahead of the World Cup, which will kick off on 11 June in Mexico: “Spain’s squad represents the hope of a nation.”

Following the President, Jesús Navas took the stage. The Sevilla-born defender, the most decorated player in the history of the Spanish national team — with one FIFA World Cup, two UEFA European Championships and one UEFA Nations League title — became, in 2023, the first player ever to win all four major international honours with Spain.

Having earned 56 caps for the national team, he shared his best wishes for the upcoming World Cup and reflected on his career with the national side before beginning the countdown to the official announcement of the highly anticipated squad list in a packed Movistar Space venue: “To represent your country at an event like this is the highest honour, the greatest achievement.”

In such a unique setting, the method of unveiling the 26 selected players had to be equally exceptional — and it was. HM King Felipe VI, from the Ciudad del Fútbol, features in a film that will be remembered in Spanish football history. The monarch appears alongside Luis de la Fuente and a number of anonymous citizens and supporters from a wide range of professions and backgrounds, representing all corners of Spain, each of whom announces the names of the 26 players selected by the national coach to represent Spain at the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Nine Players to Support Spain in Their World Cup Preparation

The Spanish national team will gather at Las Rozas next Saturday, 30 May, to begin preparations for the FIFA World Cup, which will be held from 11 June to 19 July. Spain will play two friendly matches: on Thursday 4 June at the Estadio de Riazor against Iraq, and in the early hours of 8–9 June at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla against Peru. A few days later, on Monday 15 June, Spain will make their highly anticipated World Cup debut in Atlanta against Cape Verde.

Luis de la Fuente’s side will travel to North America aiming to reclaim the world title 16 years after Spain first lifted the trophy in South Africa under Vicente del Bosque. The reigning European champions already know the players who will represent the country on their ambitious World Cup journey.