Rayo Vallecano’s international break: six call-ups and two surprises | OneFootball

Up to six Rayo Vallecano players will join their national teams during the first international break

The first international break of the 2026/27 season will leave the Rayo Vallecano dressing room severely depleted, with up to six players called up by their respective national teams. In Europe, the UEFA Nations League will see Andrei Ratiu join Romania, Giorgi Tsitaishvili link up with Georgia, and the duo of Iván Balliu and Marash Kumbulla represent Albania. Meanwhile, Rayo’s international contingent will also extend to Africa and Asia: Randy Nteka will take part in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with Angola, while goalkeeper Emil Audero will travel to join the Indonesia national team for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.

The biggest stir from this squad announcement, however, has come around the Spanish National Team and Sergio Camello. Despite making the best goalscoring start of his professional career — leading the Zarra Trophy race with 7 goals in 7 LaLiga matches — Luis de la Fuente decided to leave out the Madrid-born striker when filling the injury vacancy left by Borja Iglesias in Spain’s first squad since being crowned world champions, opting instead for Roberto Fernández (Espanyol). The decision surprised a former Rayo player. Óscar Trejo, former captain and friend of Camello, criticised the striker’s omission: "It seems a bit strange to me that he hasn’t had the chance to go. If we go by feelings, statistics, numbers and performances, he deserves the opportunity". A stance backed by Beñat San José, who had previously pointed out the pride his international call-up would have meant for the club.

On the African front, another of the most notable absences has been Pathé Ciss. The Rayo midfielder, an undisputed starter in the previous era under Pape Thiaw and present at the 2022 Qatar and 2026 World Cups, was left out by new Senegal head coach Patrick Vieira in his first squad of 29 players for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying phase. Asked about it by the press, the French coach pointed to his responsibility in charge: "It is my role and my responsibility to make decisions; I am not going to explain why every time". However, he also made clear that the door is not closed, saying that he values the level of the midfield and is looking to manage the group in the short term. With these departures and omissions, the Vallecas side will face two weeks of work in Madrid without several of its key defensive and attacking players before returning to league action.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.