Barcelona sets the tone for La Roja

The Spanish national team is once again looking toward Barcelona to build its World Cup ambitions. Luis de la Fuente’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup painted a clear picture: the Blaugrana club provides the most important core of the roster and once again becomes the backbone of La Roja.

Among the selected players are Joan García, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal, a presence that confirms Barça’s footballing influence within Spain’s project heading into the tournament.

A scenario reminiscent of 2010

The situation inevitably brings back memories of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when Spain captured its first-ever World Cup title with a team deeply influenced by Barcelona’s style and players.

That championship squad featured stars such as Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Pedro Rodríguez, many of them developed at La Masia and essential to both Barcelona and the national team. Spain’s positional dominance and ball control were, to a great extent, an extension of the Blaugrana model.

The new Blaugrana generation

Although the names have changed, the essence appears to remain the same. Pedri and Gavi lead the midfield with creativity and energy, while Lamine Yamal emerges as one of the tournament’s most exciting young faces.

A striking detail

Beyond Barcelona’s prominence, the squad list revealed an unusual detail: Spain will head to the World Cup without any Real Madrid players, a circumstance not seen in decades and one that reflects the shifting landscape of Spanish football.

The gap between Blaugrana and Madrid representation has reached historic proportions: eight Barça players and none from Los Blancos made the final squad.

Spain aims to repeat the winning formula

Spain enters the World Cup as one of the teams expected to compete for the title and does so once again relying on a recognizable identity: young talent, control of the game and a strong Barcelona influence at the heart of the squad.

It remains to be seen whether this new Blaugrana core can come close to the glory achieved by the 2010 generation, but the parallels are already fueling discussion around La Roja.