Spain teammate defends Gavi amid training tackle controversy | OneFootball

Eight Barcelona players are in the Spain squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which kicks off later this week. One of those is Gavi, whose strong performances for the Catalans over the last couple of months made him a shoe-in to return for La Roja after a difficult couple of years with various injuries.

Gavi would have been keen to make his mark upon returning to the Spain setup, but he did so not in a way he would have hoped. Over the weekend, footage surfaced of a strong tackle he landed on teammate Rodri Hernandez during a training session that left the Manchester City midfielder in some pain.

Gavi received some criticism on the back of this, especially given the reputation he has built up as a fierce competitor. But from within the Spain camp, there has not been too much made of the incident with Rodri, as was made clear by Yeremy Pino, who spoke glowingly on the Barcelona midfielder during an interview with Diario AS.

“He brings kicks, but also grit and camaraderie. Gavi is soul. He is always happy, itching with his teammates. He always gives his all and I would always want him in my team.”

Will Gavi start in Spain’s World Cup opener?

Image via Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images

A number of the Spain squad missed last week’s 1-1 draw against Iraq, but Gavi was one of those to be involved. He impressed at Riazor, and this would have strengthened his case for a starting spot when La Roja take on Cape Verde next week in their first match of the 2026 World Cup.

The upcoming friendly against Peru, scheduled for the early hours of Tuesday morning, will give another indication as to whether Gavi could start against Cape Verde, but there is certainly a case for him to line up alongside the likes of Rodri and Pedri in midfield – although .