Real Madrid youngster has an outside chance of playing for Spain in World Cup | OneFootball

Gonzalo Garcia has been quite the find for Real Madrid this season, especially after his breakthrough at the FIFA Club World Cup.

While the Spaniard’s first half of the season was far from ideal, under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa has worked wonders for the player.

While Kylian Mbappe still remains the undisputed number nine for Real Madrid, Garcia has emerged as an intriguing alternative, who has been racking up the minutes since the turn of the year, even earning praise for his qualities.

An outside chance at the World Cup?

As reported by Diario AS, there is still an outside chance for Garcia to be selected into the Spanish team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente lacks a definitive candidate for the centre-forward role, as current options like Mikel Oyarzabal and Ferran Torres are not natural strikers.

Can Garcia sneak into the Spain team for the upcoming World Cup? (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The leading candidate, Samu Omorodion, has been ruled out of the tournament following a devastating cruciate ligament tear.

This injury has left the search for a traditional number nine more open than ever, giving Gonzalo a genuine outside chance if his clinical form continues.

The numbers behind Gonzalo’s rise are increasingly difficult for both club and country to ignore. He has already been involved in eight goals – six goals and two assists – across 950 minutes of action this season.

This equates to a goal involvement every 119 minutes, proving he can deliver significant output with limited opportunities.

This is a quality that often becomes useful at a stage like the World Cup, as evidenced by the success of a certain Mirsolav Klose.