Spain's UEFA Nations League Squad: Key Changes and New Faces
Spain’s world champions are back in business – and Luis de la Fuente has made it clear that nobody’s seat is guaranteed.
The Spain coach has announced his squad for the start of La Roja’s 2026–2027 UEFA Nations League campaign, making four changes to the group that lifted the World Cup. The message behind the list is sharp: the core remains, but the standard stays ruthless.
Spain restart their journey with a heavyweight test. A week from now, they walk out at Wembley to face England, the first stop in a four-game international window that will quickly test depth, form and resolve.
After London comes a return home: Croatia visit the Sánchez-Pizjuán on the 29th, the Czech Republic follow in Oviedo on the 3rd, and the window closes with another meeting against Croatia, this time in Split. It’s a demanding run, and De la Fuente has trimmed and tweaked accordingly.
Core intact, doors still open
Despite the changes, the backbone of the World Cup-winning squad is intact. De la Fuente has not ripped anything up. Instead, he has underlined a principle that has driven his tenure: the national team is open to all, but staying in a squad of world champions requires constant proof.
Four of the 26 players who went to the World Cup are missing this time. Some absences are forced, others are the result of competition biting hard.
Goalkeeper blow opens Inter door
In goal, circumstance dictated the first change.
Joan García is out after injuring his right knee in a fall during the match against Racing. The setback has ruled him out of this camp and opened a path for a familiar face.
Josep Martínez, now at Inter Milan, steps back into the Spain setup. He last wore the Spain shirt in June 2021, in that surreal night when De la Fuente had to send out a second-string side against Lithuania after the first team was isolated following positive coronavirus tests for Sergio Busquets and Diego Llorente.
From emergency call-up to Nations League contender, Martínez now returns as part of a three-man unit with Unai Simón and David Raya.
Huijsen back, Eric García covers Llorente’s void
The first big change in defence was signposted weeks ago. Marcos Llorente’s retirement from international football, announced on 3 September, left a vacancy on the right.
De la Fuente has turned to Eric García to fill it. The defender has played every minute in that role for his club this season, and the Spain coach has decided that club form and continuity outweigh any doubts about the positional switch.
Dean Huijsen also returns. The Real Madrid defender missed out on the World Cup but is back in the frame now, adding freshness and competition to a defensive group that still includes Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Laporte, Vivian, Cucurella and Grimaldo.
Gavi out, Fermín back in the mix
Midfield brings one of the headline omissions.
Gavi drops out after another knee problem, picked up against Elche, and a noticeable reduction in his recent minutes. He started Spain’s opening World Cup match against Cape Verde but could not hold his place due to injury, and the issues have not eased.
On top of that, FIFA’s appeals committee has rejected the Spanish federation’s attempt to suspend the ban imposed on him for incidents in the World Cup final. The combination of physical and disciplinary obstacles has pushed him out of this squad.
In his place, a familiar engine returns. Fermín López is back in De la Fuente’s plans after missing the World Cup with a foot injury suffered on the final day of last season. Before that setback, the Barcelona midfielder had been one of the coach’s key men. Now, with Rodri, Zubimendi, Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Dani Olmo and Baena, he re-enters a midfield that sets the rhythm of this Spain.
A new No 9 stakes his claim
Up front, the shake-up is clear and blunt.
Borja Iglesias, trusted at key moments during the World Cup, is out. His omission opens the door to one of the most in-form Spanish forwards in the league: Roberto Fernández.
The Espanyol striker has surged to the front of the race for the Zarra Trophy, awarded to the top Spanish scorer in the domestic league. That scoring streak has carried him past rivals Camello, Espí and Gonzalo in the battle for a national-team place – and De la Fuente has rewarded it.
Roberto now joins an attacking unit full of pace, flair and goals: Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal and Víctor Muñoz. It is a blend of established names and emerging threats, sharpened for a new campaign.
Spain squad for the start of the 2026–2027 UEFA Nations League
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón, David Raya, Josep Martínez.
Defence: Pedro Porro, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Laporte, Vivian, Dean Huijsen, Cucurella, Grimaldo.
Midfield: Rodri, Zubimendi, Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Dani Olmo, Baena, Fermín López.
Attack: Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Roberto Fernández, Lamine Yamal, Víctor Muñoz.
The World Cup crown still sits on Spain’s head. Now comes the harder part: proving, game after game, that they still deserve it. Wembley is the first verdict.
