Barcelona star waiting for chance with Spain after becoming key under Hansi Flick | OneFootball

Eric Garcia enjoyed one of the strongest seasons of his career under Hansi Flick at Barcelona, but his role with Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been very different.

The 25-year-old defender has yet to make his tournament debut after remaining an unused substitute in Spain’s opening three matches, despite playing a crucial role for the Catalan club throughout the campaign.

As such, he is still waiting for an opportunity to be handed by La Roja boss Luis de la Fuente, reports Mundo Deportivo.

A regular at Barcelona

Garcia established himself as one of Flick’s most trusted players during the 2025/26 season. His versatility allowed him to operate both in central defence and at right-back, making him an invaluable option throughout the campaign.

Eric has become a key player for Barcelona under Flick. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

By the end of the season, he had accumulated 3,955 minutes across all competitions, making him Barcelona’s third most-used player only behind Joan Garcia and Pau Cubarsí.

His consistency and tactical flexibility earned him a place in De la Fuente’s World Cup squad, with many expecting him to play an important role for Spain.

Still Waiting at the World Cup

So far, however, those opportunities have not arrived. Spain secured qualification for the Round of 16 with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay, but Garcia once again watched the entire match from the bench.

De la Fuente has remained loyal to Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte as his preferred central defensive pairing, while Marcos Llorente and Pedro Porro have shared responsibilities at right-back.

As a result, Garcia has yet to feature in the tournament.

Waiting for his chance. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

A familiar situation

This is not the first time the Barcelona defender has found himself in this position at a World Cup.

Garcia was also included in Spain’s squad for the 2022 tournament in Qatar under Luis Enrique but did not play a single minute during Spain’s four matches.

Four years later, he once again finds himself waiting for an opportunity to make his World Cup debut.

Despite his lack of playing time, Garcia has maintained a positive attitude. The defender remains grateful to De la Fuente for being selected and is prepared to contribute whenever called upon.

With Spain having kept three consecutive clean sheets to begin the tournament, De la Fuente has had little reason to alter his defensive setup.

Even so, as the knockout stages begin and squad rotation becomes increasingly important, Garcia will hope his patience is eventually rewarded with his first appearance on football’s biggest stage.