Luis de la Fuente names 26-man Spain squad for Nations League with four changes

Squad announcement and four roster changes

Spanish national team manager Luis de la Fuente announced his 26-man squad on Friday, 18 September 2026 for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. The roster retains 22 players from the 26-man squad that won the World Cup 61 days earlier against Argentina in the United States. Four changes mark the new list across all field departments. Goalkeeper Josep Martínez of Inter Milan replaces the injured Joan García of FC Barcelona. In attack, 24-year-old RCD Espanyol forward Roberto Fernández receives his first senior call-up following a run of six goals in the first six matches of the LaLiga season. Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen and FC Barcelona midfielder Fermín López return to the team after missing the summer tournament due to technical choice and a foot injury, respectively.

Absences and video presentation in Ceuta

The Royal Spanish Football Federation presented the squad list at 11:30 CEST through an official video filmed in Ceuta. The video featured local residents and the World Cup trophy following De la Fuente's visit to the autonomous city on 4 September. The coach introduced the list directly on camera with a brief message of solidarity.

This is Ceuta, this is Spain.

Four players from the World Cup campaign dropped out of the selection. Atlético de Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente announced his retirement from international duty, while FC Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García and RC Celta forward Borja Iglesias remain sidelined through injury. Midfielder Gavi misses out due to technical selection criteria and a FIFA suspension that excludes him from the upcoming fixture against England.

Nations League schedule and upcoming fixtures

Spain will begin training for the international window on Tuesday, 22 September at 13:00 at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas. The team will contest four Nations League group matches over a ten-day period between late September and early October. The opening match will take place on Saturday, 26 September against England at Wembley Stadium in London. Spain will then return home to face Croatia at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Seville on Tuesday, 29 September.

The window continues with a home match against the Czech Republic on Saturday, 3 October at the Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo. Spain will conclude the four-match sequence with a visit to Croatia at the Poljud Stadium in Split on Tuesday, 6 October. All four fixtures will kick off at 20:45 CEST and broadcast live on La 1 and RTVE Play. The remaining group stage games are scheduled for November, with an away match against the Czech Republic in Prague on 12 November and a home match against England at Madrid's Metropolitano on 15 November.

International tournament stakes

Spain enters the tournament with the objective of reaching a fourth consecutive Nations League final, having won the competition once before in 2023. The top two teams from the four-team group will qualify for two-legged quarter-finals scheduled between 25 and 30 March 2027. The Nations League finals tournament will subsequently take place from 9 to 13 June 2027. Roberto Fernández and Josep Martínez will seek their senior international debuts during the ten-day stretch of matches. Spain will aim to defend its European ranking after finishing as runners-up to Portugal in the previous edition in Munich.