Spain coach Luis de la Fuente named injured Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal to the country's 26-man World Cup squad Monday, while leaving out all players from Real Madrid for the first time in the tournament's history.
According to BBC News, Yamal, who is 18 years old, tore his left hamstring while playing for Barcelona on April 22 and missed the final month of the club season. Real Madrid defenders Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal were among those left off the squad. Real did not win a trophy this season and finished eight points behind La Liga champions Barcelona.
De la Fuente addressed the absence of Real Madrid players directly. "I don't look at one club or another. I don't have that local bias a fan might have. For me, it's more global," he said. "The only thing I want is for these footballers to feel proud of representing the national team."
Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has also been dealing with a hamstring problem, was included in the squad. De la Fuente expressed confidence that injuries would not be a factor when play begins. "We're very relaxed. Barring any setbacks, we'll have everyone available from the very first match," he said.
The squad includes seven Premier League players. Arsenal contributes three: goalkeeper David Raya, midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino, who returned from a four-month absence due to a stress fracture in his foot during Arsenal's final league match of the season Sunday. Manchester City's Rodri, Tottenham's Pedro Porro, Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, and Crystal Palace's Yeremy Pino round out the Premier League contingent.
Two uncapped defenders also received call-ups. Eric Garcia of Barcelona and Marc Pubill of Atletico Madrid were selected after strong individual seasons for their clubs. Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez was ruled out last week with a broken foot.
The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19. Spain open against debutants Cape Verde on June 15, then face Saudi Arabia on June 21 and Uruguay on June 26 in Group H.
De la Fuente described the mood around the national team in broad terms. "Excitement is the key word. Passion," he said. "The reaction of people all over Spain - adults and children alike - is that they are fully behind the national team."
