LaLiga stars set to light up World Cup
LaLiga will be strongly represented at the 2026 World Cup, which starts on Friday, with 86 players drawn from the Spanish top flight - 81 - and second division LaLiga Hypermotion - five, including Castellon's Australian winger Awer Mabil.
They will represent 31 national teams across four confederations, highlighting the international reach of Spanish football, the depth of talent across the league and the key role played by LaLiga club academies in fueling the national squad.
LaLiga will be represented by many of the most recognisable talents in the global game, including Kylian Mbappe [France] and Jude Bellingham [England] of Real Madrid, Lamine Yamal and Pedri of FC Barcelona [Spain], Vinicius Jr of Real Madrid [Brazil], and Julián Álvarez of Atlético de Madrid [Argentina].
“The scale and quality of LALIGA’s 86 representatives at this World Cup says a lot about the level of talent in Spanish football," LaLiga president Javier Tebas said. "These players are not just part of the tournament; many will be central to its outcome.
"It is also a reflection of the pathway that exists across Spanish football, where LaLiga club academies continue to develop players capable of reaching the highest level.”
According to Transfermarkt valuations, five of the ten most valuable players selected for the tournament play in LaLiga: FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Pedri, and Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid. The list highlights the competition's depth of elite talent, spanning established World Cup winners and some of the game’s most exciting young players.
The World Cup will also showcase the continued importance of LaLiga clubs to the Spanish national team. Seventeen players in Spain’s squad have been drawn from six different LaLiga clubs, with Barcelona (8), Atletico Madrid (3) and Athletic Club (3) among the leading contributors.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s selections also highlight the enduring strength of Spanish football’s youth development model. All but one member of the Spain squad spent key development years within a LaLiga club academy, with players shaped by 12 different academies. This broad spread demonstrates how clubs across Spanish football continue to identify, develop and prepare elite talent for the highest level of the international game.
LaLiga talent will be central to the ambitions of several of the tournament favourites. Mbappe – a World Cup winner with France in 2018 – will again lead one of Europe’s strongest sides, while Julian Alvarez [Atlleti], a 2022 champion with Argentina, will be a key figure for the reigning world champion.
Vini Jr will be among Brazil’s standout attacking threats, Bellingham will be central to England’s hopes, and 18 year-old Lamine Yamal will arrive as one of the most exciting young players in world football for a Spain side – the current European Champion – with a record of competing deep into the tournament.
Four Spanish coaches will also be leading teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup – Luis de la Fuente [Spain], Roberto Martinez [Portugal], Julen Lopetegui [Qatar] and Thomas Christiansen [Panama] – while nine World Cup managers have previously coached a LaLiga club.
