Nine Barcelona stars included in Spain preliminary World Cup squad; two notable absentees | OneFootball

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente officially submitted the team’s 55-man preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup to FIFA on Monday, and once again, FC Barcelona feature heavily in the national team setup.

Indeed, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan club will have strong representation in the summer’s tournament in North America, with several key Barça players expected to make the final 26-man list.

Nine players in the 55-man list of probables

Barcelona continue to form one of the foundations of the Spanish national side, with as many as nine players from the Blaugrana squad included in the preliminary squad.

Indeed, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Fermin Lopez, all regulars in the La Roja setup, have been included and are expected to make it to the final 26-man list.

Among the biggest developments are the inclusions of Gavi and Eric Garcia, both of whom return to the national team picture after impressive seasons under Hansi Flick.

Eric Garcia and Joan Garcia on the Spain preliminary squad list. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Gavi’s comeback has been particularly significant after his long injury lay-off, while Garcia’s consistency and versatility have earned him renewed recognition from the Spain manager.

Meanwhile, star goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who made his Spain debut during the last international break in March, is also on the 55-man probables’ list.

No Gerard Martin and Alejandro Balde

However, there are two notable absentees from the Barcelona squad who have not made the cut for the Spain World Cup roster – Gerard Martin and Alejandro Balde.

Martin has grown in importance during the second half of the season and established himself as a key starter as the left-sided centre-back alongside Cubarsi. But he has ultimately missed out on this initial selection with Spain.

Balde has also been left out. Competition at left-back remains fierce for Spain, with Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Grimaldo and even Sergio Gomez currently ahead of the Barcelona full-back in De la Fuente’s plans.

There is also no place for young midfielders Marc Casado and Marc Bernal.