2026 World Cup | Who are France’s opponent, Spain? | OneFootball

France’s opponents in the Semi-finals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are Spain. We look at the players that comprise their squad. 

Unai Simón

DOB: 11 June 1997

Club: Athletic Club

Position: Goalkeeper

One of Luis de la Fuente’s biggest achievements has been the consistency in goal – despite not being so sure about Simón at youth level. Antonio Sivera got the nod in the first game of the 2019 Under-21 Euros, which Spain lost to Italy. Simón started the next few games as De la Fuente’s side went on to win the trophy. There have been few doubts at senior level. Simón saved two penalties in the shootout victory over Croatia in the 2023 Nations League final. “I’m especially pleased for Unai, who has been mistreated for a long time. I hope people recognise how valuable he is,” De la Fuente said at the time. Simón was between the posts the following summer when Spain won Euro 2024, playing through the pain after rupturing a ligament in his wrist. For the moment he’s still the No 1 despite the rise of David Raya and Joan García.

David Raya

DOB: 15 September 1995

Club: Arsenal

Position: Goalkeeper

From futsal to the World Cup via England’s lower leagues, Raya’s career is unlike any other. After starting out as an outfield player in futsal he became a goalkeeper during his time in Cornellá’s academy in Barcelona. Then came the move to England aged 17. Perhaps unsurprisingly he is the first player to be called up by Spain who has won two promotions in the EFL, first from League One to the Championship with Blackburn and then to the Premier League with Brentford. At Arsenal he has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world – as quick-thinking with his feet as he is with his unusually large hands. On his left shinpad he has a picture of his international debut with Spain in 2022, passing the ball with his feet of course. Unai Simón has a fight on his hands.

Joan García

DOB: 4 May 2001

Club: Barcelona

Position: Goalkeeper

García has become one of the standout goalkeepers in La Liga. After making a name for himself in a relegation battle with Espanyol, the Catalan signed for neighbours Barcelona. The sporting director, Deco, had no qualms in paying the €25m release clause for one of the most highly-rated goalkeepers in Europe. But García did not come to Barcelona to be backup to Marc-André ter Stegen – the opposite. He felt he was destined to be No 1 for Barcelona and Spain in the years to come. After missing out in the autumn international breaks, the 25-year-old was handed a call-up by Luis de la Fuente in March and his first cap came at Espanyol’s home ground, although he was whistled by some members of the crowd for his move across town to Barcelona.

Aymeric Laporte

DOB: 27 May 1994

Club: Athletic Club

Position: Centre-back

“Playing for Spain has been the best thing to happen to me in my career,” Laporte said after winning the Nations League in 2023, playing in a defensive partnership with Robin Le Normand, another naturalised Frenchman. Laporte’s impact on Spain’s defence since his switch of allegiance in 2021 has been immense. De la Fuente continued to pick him after he left Manchester City for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, with the centre-back trusted to start alongside Le Normand on Spain’s way to the Euro 2024 title. He returned to Athletic Club last summer and is a permanent fixture in Ernesto Valverde’s backline. With Spain he provides much-needed experience in defensive ranks that include youngsters Pau Cubarsí and Dean Huijsen.

Pedro Porro 

DOB: 13 September 1999 

Club: Tottenham

Position: Right-back

Aggressive in the transition, alert to his defensive responsibilities and ambitious going forward, Porro has developed all the attributes of the modern full-back. He’s also known as a ‘jugador de calle’ (a street player) because of his competitive spirit and willingness to do anything for his team. These are often traits of people who come from Don Benito, a rural part of Extremadura in western Spain. Being mired in a relegation battle with Tottenham has only added to his education as an athlete, both on and off the pitch. In high-pressure situations, he always responds. With the duopoly of Dani Carvajal and Jesús Navas over, he has the opportunity to shine for the national team.

Marc Pubill

DOB: 20 June 2003

Club: Atlético Madrid

Position: Centre-back

The 22-year-old uncapped defender has beaten the likes of Dean Huijsen and his Atlético teammate Robin Le Normand, who won Euro 2024 with Spain, to a seat on the plane. It has been some rise for Pubill. The former Espanyol and Levante academy player was relegated with Almería the summer his country were crowned champions of Europe but his performances in the second tier were enough for Atlético to come calling. “I fell in love with Atlético within a week,” he said after joining and has become a trusted figure in Diego Simeone’s backline, starting all but one of their Champions League knockout matches en route to the semi-finals. Pubill steps into the senior setup as an Olympic champion with Spain’s Under-23s at Paris 2024 and can provide cover at centre-back or right-back.

Pau Cubarsí

DOB: 22 January 2007

Club: Barcelona

Position: Centre-back

At just 19 years old, Cubarsí has become the leader of Barcelona’s defence. The departure of Iñigo Martínez last summer gave the youngster a new status within Hansi Flick’s squad: he stopped being the young apprentice learning off the senior players beside him and started marshalling the defence himself. It has not always gone to plan, a red card against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League a case in point. But his stature in the selección has changed as well, with Luis de la Fuente now considering him a possible starter. Now the coach must decide whether to play him alongside the experience of Aymeric Laporte or gamble with the young pairing of Cubarsí and Dean Huijsen. Comes into the World Cup having just won his second La Liga title. 

Eric García

DOB: 9 January 2001

Club: Barcelona

Position: Centre-back, right-back, midfielder

Nobody at Barcelona sees García simply as a centre-back. The graduate of La Masía, who played for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at a young age, has won the trust of Hansi Flick thanks to his ability to adapt to different positions. He can play in the middle of the back four but also as a central midfielder and a right-back, never looking out of his depth – something Luis de la Fuente values greatly. “Eric has been with me in the Under-19s, Under-21s, the Olympics … He’s a versatile player and very admired by the Federation and by me especially,” the head coach says. A key figure for years in Spain’s youth teams, now García is making the grade with the senior side.

Marc Cucurella

DOB: 22 July 1998

Club: Chelsea

Position: Left-back

The left-back has become a surprise leader of this Spain team. He was key to the Euro 2024 triumph, setting up Mikel Oyarzabal’s winner in the final, and is now one of the main figures in the buildup to the World Cup. At Chelsea he has gone from being a target of ridicule for his €60m transfer fee to one of the most respected players at the club – even during a difficult season his starting place has been undisputed. His stamina on the wing and ferocity in challenging for the ball have made him such an important player for Luis de la Fuente too. Last year Cucurella and his wife Claudia opened up to the media about their family life and the challenges of being a parent to his autistic son.

Álex Grimaldo

DOB: 20 September 1995

Club: Bayer Leverkusen

Position: Left-back

There are few full-backs in world football who are capable of registering double figures for goals and assists in a single season. Grimaldo has just done that for a second time in Germany having been a major contributor to Leverkusen’s league and cup double-winning side of 2023-24. And yet none of Europe’s heavyweights have decided to pursue him in the transfer market. Nonetheless the 30-year-old is one of the most consistent performers around and well respected by his peers after battling back from numerous injury problems – ones that forced him to fly out a personal chef to Germany. Grimaldo is a dead-ball specialist and strikes the ball like Juninho Pernambucano and Cristiano Ronaldo used to, although he has admitted that this technique can cause injuries if you do not execute it well. He’s expected to be backup to Cucurella this summer.

Álex Baena

DOB: 20 July 2001

Club: Atlético Madrid

Position: Midfielder

There are two key reasons why Baena’s career has flowered as it has. One is the perseverance of his family in convincing him to stick it out at Villarreal when he was homesick after leaving his home city of Almería. The second was meeting Míchel, whom he played under for a season at Girona on loan from Villarreal. He played 38 games that year, scoring five goals, and showed off his impressive vision and tactical intelligence as an attacking midfielder. Unai Emery and Marcelino helped produce a player whose focus is more on setting up goals than scoring them. Baena registered 14 assists in the 2023-24 season, earning a call-up for Euro 2024. Last summer Atlético paid €32m for his services – his first season has been inconsistent but De la Fuente likes him a lot. 

Fabián Ruiz

DOB: 3 April 1996

Club: PSG

Position: Midfielder

The skinny midfielder whose mother used to work as a cleaner at the Real Betis training ground where he played has become one of Spain and Europe’s best. Given his chance at Betis by Quique Setién, the Andalusian club cashed in with a €30m sale to Napoli in 2018. Ruiz’s time in Italy turned him into a complete midfielder – an elegant left foot, a powerful strike and a nose for goal. He made his Spain debut in 2019 and was a regular under Luis Enrique, despite missing out on the squad for the 2022 World Cup. He is now playing his club football under Enrique, of course, and the pair won the Champions League in 2025, a year after Ruiz lifted the Euros under De la Fuente in Germany. After a season hampered by injuries, the 30-year-old will play in his first World Cup and Real Madrid and Barcelona will be taking a keen interest in his performances.

Mikel Merino

DOB: 22 June 1996

Club: Arsenal

Position: Attacking midfielder

A stress fracture of the foot sustained against Manchester United in January – and the surgery required to repair it – ruled Merino out of much of the second half of the season, but not this tournament, with Luis de la Fuente always making it clear that the attacking midfielder remained part of his plans. Merino started the last six World Cup qualifiers, his importance to the national team growing in tandem with his goalscoring output. He demonstrated his attacking impact in one of the defining moments of the last Euros, with a goal in the final minute of extra time against Germany in Stuttgart. His celebration, twirling the corner flag, just as his father Miguel had done with Osasuna in the same stadium 33 years earlier in the Uefa Cup, became an unforgettable image of Spanish success. In 2020 the San Sebastián restaurant Txuleta named him winner of their Txuleta Award as Real Sociedad’s best player, though the pandemic and a hectic diary meant he did not pick up his prize of two large steaks and a slap-up dinner until 2022.

Martín Zubimendi

DOB: 2 February 1999

Club: Arsenal

Position: Defensive midfielder

Another off the production line of midfield robots that have made Spain a force since 2008. Among his assets are professionalism, discipline and good decision-making, especially under pressure. Zubimendi is the Basque version of what is produced in Barcelona’s La Masía. Like Alonso and Busquets, he is a footballer capable of lending a hand to his defence but also distributing the ball to his most dangerous attackers. The biggest clubs in the world always want a player like him and Arsenal have reaped the rewards of his consistency across his first season since signing from Real Sociedad. If Rodri’s fitness falters, like it did in the Euro 2024 final, Zubimendi is capable of running Spain’s midfield himself.

Marcos Llorente

DOB: 30 January 1995

Club: Atlético Madrid

Position: Midfielder, right-back

Llorente arrives at his first World Cup as a polarising figure. The versatile player, who has become a key man under Diego Simeone at Atlético in midfield and defence, is an active user of social media, often showing off how he looks after his incredible physique. But he has also been known to fuel conspiracy theories about chemtrails, suncream and what he calls “toxic” artificial light, saying he wears yellow and red-tinted glasses to “protect his biology”. His comments have been criticised by the scientific community and the Spanish government but Llorente has become a trendsetter within football – players such as Erling Haaland, Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata all wear tinted glasses like him.

Rodri

DOB: 22 June 1996

Club: Manchester City

Position: Midfielder

Spain’s first Ballon d’Or winner since 1960 arrives at this World Cup with a couple of question marks hanging over him. One is whether he can put to bed doubts over his fitness that have been lingering since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in September 2024. Muscle injuries have hampered his return to full fitness despite Pep Guardiola’s best efforts at managing his minutes this season. After returning to his best at times for Manchester City, injury problems affected his end to the campaign and it remains to be seen what sort of condition he will be in for the World Cup. If he’s fit, he will start ahead of Martín Zubimendi. But if he’s anything short of 100%, Luis de la Fuente will have a decision to make because of the form of the Arsenal player.

Gavi

DOB: 5 August 2004

Club: Barcelona

Position: Midfielder

Gavi is the beating heart of any team he plays in, whether that’s Barcelona or Spain, but he has to be protected by his coaches. Two serious injuries – rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in 2023 and then a meniscus problem in the same knee – threatened to stall his young career but they have not stopped him becoming a favourite with Hansi Flick and Luis de la Fuente. Flick has repeatedly shown up for photo shoots with Gavi’s name on a Barcelona shirt while he is out injured; De la Fuente brought him to the Euro 2024 final so he could be part of the celebrations. There are few Spanish midfielders as talented and hard-working as Pablo Martín Páez Gavira – and both coaches know it.

Pedri

DOB: 25 November 2002

Club: Barcelona

Position: Midfielder

Pedri may have an axe to grind at the World Cup after missing out on the latter stages of Spain’s run to win Euro 2024 after his injury in the quarter-final against Germany. Luis de la Fuente used to think the Tenerife native was best as a No 10 but Hansi Flick has moved him into a deeper position at Barcelona, where the 23-year-old has just won his third league title. “It’s the position I’ve felt most comfortable in throughout my short career. I touch the ball a lot there,” Pedri has said of his deep-lying role. And De la Fuente has taken note, playing Pedri closer to Rodri or Martín Zubimendi. Fabián Ruiz is the main competitor for a place in the side and Pedri might just have the edge.

Dani Olmo

DOB: 7 May 1998

Club: Barcelona

Position: Attacking midfielder

Olmo is still trying to prove himself as a starter with Barcelona and Spain; inconsistency is what is holding him back from being an important player for both teams. He does, however, have a quality that is useful to both Hansi Flick and Luis de la Fuente: that of adapting to different roles in midfield and attack. He’s played as a winger and in a midfield three, also as the creative half of a two-man pivot. But No 10 is his preferred position and De la Fuente might just have an opening in that department at the World Cup after Mikel Merino’s fitness problems. De la Fuente has always had his eye on Olmo, even after he left Barcelona for Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 17: the Spain coach, then in charge of the Under-19s, never failed to call him up. 

Víctor Muñoz

DOB: 13 July 2003

Club: Osasuna

Position: Winger

Muñoz is the surprise inclusion in Luis de la Fuente’s squad. The 22-year-old winger has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Osasuna after leaving Real Madrid, who still own 50% of his rights. Having clocked 35km/h this campaign, he is one of the fastest players in La Liga and makes very dangerous runs in behind. A direct dribbler, Muñoz could make a real difference off the bench for Spain this summer. He scored on his first cap in March, a 3-0 win against Serbia. “It would be a dream,” he said after that game when asked about the possibility of going to the World Cup, “but I’m concentrating on the day to day, on working hard, improving, enjoying the process and, if it has to happen, I’m sure it’ll happen.”

Yéremy Pino

DOB: 20 October 2002

Club: Crystal Palace

Position: Winger

Pino was flying at 18: the Villarreal academy graduate winning the Europa League in his first season and making his senior Spain breakthrough. He looked unstoppable until, in 2023 aged 21, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. “I had real moments of doubt and uncertainty, not knowing if I’d be able to return the same or not,” he said. “During rehab I remember Mikel Oyarzabal telling me: ‘Learn from the process, that it’s very beautiful’. At first I didn’t understand him, I thought it was shit. But over time I saw that yes, you have to learn from it.” He made it back, proved his resilience and, last year, earned a £26m move to Crystal Palace. His league form at Palace, trying to fill Eberechi Eze’s boots, has been mixed, but he stood out in their Conference League victory in May, striking both posts with a free-kick in the final. He’ll be a busy, creative threat if he gets a chance this summer, and he’s ready to be versatile. “The gaffer knows I can play on either flank, through the middle, or as a second striker. I am at his disposal to play right-back if necessary.”

Lamine Yamal

DOB: 13 July 2007

Club: Barcelona

Position: Winger

Spanish football’s rising star has become one of world football’s superstars. After finishing second in the Ballon d’Or standings to Ousmane Dembélé last year the Barcelona winger was already setting his sights on the top prize. Despite winning his second consecutive league title, it has not been a straightforward season for the 18-year-old, who caused a spat with Real Madrid before and after last October’s clásico and has missed spells – including the final weeks of the campaign – with injury. However, there’s no doubt now that he is Barcelona and Spain’s talisman. If he avoids further fitness issues and leads La Roja to glory in North America, he will be many people’s pick for this year’s Ballon d’Or. The son of a Guinean mother and a Moroccan father, Yamal has broken records throughout his career, including becoming the youngest person to play and to score for Spain at 16 years and 57 days.

Nico Williams 

DOB: 12 July 2002

Club: Athletic Club

Position: Winger

Williams was one of the pillars of Spain’s success at Euro 2024. He then decided to extend his contract at his boyhood club, Athletic, instead of signing for Barcelona after a transfer saga that lasted months but this season was not kind to him. A groin injury has hampered his progress after becoming one of Europe’s most feared dribblers and he missed out on Spain’s friendlies in March. After seeing a specialist about his groin, the 23-year-old will follow his brother Iñaki – who played for Ghana in 2022 – in appearing at a World Cup. Fitness issues to both Williams and Lamine Yamal mean there are questions over whether the dynamic duo can be as influential as they were in 2024. Nico’s mother, Maria, was pregnant with Inaki when she and their father Felix set off from Ghana and walked barefoot across the Sahara in search of a better life in Spain.

Ferran Torres

DOB: 29 February 2000

Club: Barcelona

Position: Striker, winger

Whether as a winger or a central striker, Torres has been among the goals (seven at the time of writing) since Luis de la Fuente took over as Spain’s head coach. “I met Ferran when he was 16. He was with me in the Under-18s, Under-20s, Under-21s,” De la Fuente said. “I know him perfectly, I know the ability that he has to play in different positions. Of course the focus is often on other players and our Spanish players are not valued. He’s always reliable and sometimes brilliant.” The 26-year-old has earned the respect of his teammates too in recent years with his selfless play off the ball, not to mention his adept finishing when found in the box. A hat-trick against Germany and Manuel Neuer in 2020 remains his standout moment in a Spain shirt.

Mikel Oyarzabal

DOB: 21 April 1997

Club: Real Sociedad

Position: Forward

No one in the Spanish national team has grown more since Euro 2024 than Mikel Oyarzabal. His 86th-minute goal in the final against England propelled him to stardom, and since then, his performances and confidence have only continued to improve. He started that tournament as a substitute, but since then has become an undisputed starter. He arrives at his first World Cup – he missed 2022 after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, which kept him out for nine months – in exceptional form, having banked his most prolific season at club level and scored 11 goals in the his 10 internationals before the squad was named. Oyarzabal has a degree in business administration, having combined his studies with football. “There were days when I was tired when I got to class, or I was depressed because we had lost, but it was a good way to disconnect with football,” he said. While not particularly tall – he measures 1.79m  – Oyarzabal wears size 12 boots . “People are curious but you get used to it,” he says. “I’ve had big feet since I was very young.”

Borja Iglesias

DOB: 17 January 1993

Club: Celta Vigo

Position: Striker

Iglesias didn’t get his big break until the age of 25 when he scored 17 top-flight goals in a season for Espanyol. Real Betis shelled out €28m to sign him in 2019 and he established himself as one of La Liga’s best strikers, winning the Copa del Rey and making his international debut in 2022. While in Seville he became great friends with the likes of Aitor Ruibal and Héctor Bellerín, appearing alongside them to promote social causes and call out homophobia in football. After returning from a short spell at Bayer Leverkusen with a Bundesliga medal, Iglesias is now enjoying a new lease of life at Celta. Spain need a striker of his profile – able to hold up the ball with his back to play. “El Panda” isn’t expected to start at the World Cup due to the form of Mikel Oyarzabal but is a very good back-up option for Luis de la Fuente to have.

This piece is from the Guardian Sports Network

GFFN | Luke Entwistle