Real Madrid midfielder resigned to missing out on 2026 World Cup dream | OneFootball

Despite having an opportunity to join Olympique de Marseille in the summer transfer window, Dani Ceballos opted to stay at Real Madrid.

A move to the Ligue 1 club was close to being finalised, but the 29-year-old Spaniard made a last-minute U-turn and decided he would continue fighting for his place in Xabi Alonso’s team.

Five matches into the new campaign, Ceballos has only played 90 minutes, making one start vs Real Sociedad, while not featuring at all vs Marseille in the Champions League.

Ceballos giving up on the World Cup dream

Given the situation, Defensa Central reports that Ceballos is increasingly convinced that he will not be part of Spain’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The Real Madrid midfielder remains in Xabi Alonso’s plans and will rotate naturally when needed, but he knows that convincing national coach Luis de la Fuente with so few minutes on the pitch is virtually impossible.

Ceballos rejected a summer move to Marseille. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Ceballos has already started to accept that whatever happens with his future at Real Madrid, going to the World Cup is becoming an unattainable dream.

As such, the 29-year-old’s main objective is to work as hard as possible so that Xabi increases his minutes and appearances this season.

It will not be easy, given that Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, and Eduardo Camavinga are ahead of him in the pecking order, with the latter two now back from injury.

There is still the possibility that Ceballos could leave Real Madrid in the winter transfer window, but he remains reluctant to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

Missing out on the World Cup may be the price he pays for staying until his contract ends in 2027.