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For the first time ever, Spain will head to the World Cup without a single Real Madrid player in the lineup. On Monday, Luis de la Fuente announced his final Spain squad, but none of the eligible players from Los Blancos found a place in it.

In stark contrast, nearly one-third of the 26-man squad consists of Barcelona players. De la Fuente had limited options from the Santiago Bernabeu, with Dani Ceballos, Raul Asencio, and Dani Carvajal having managed just one international appearance between them over the past 18 months. Meanwhile, Thiago Pitarch and Fran Garcia were not even under consideration. The player who came closest was Gonzalo Garcia, who has been named in the nine-man ‘support squad’ that will join the initial training camp before Spain’s final friendly against Peru in Mexico. However, the most notable omission remains Dean Huijsen.

Once it became evident that Carvajal would not be making a comeback to the national team, Huijsen seemed the only Madrid player with a realistic shot at selection, having earned seven caps in the past year and a half. Yet, the impressive form of Marc Pubill and Eric Garcia earned them places alongside regulars Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsi, pushing Huijsen out of contention.

The decision didn’t sit well with the Real Madrid youngster. The 21-year-old took to Instagram, sharing a photo of the Sofascore Team of the Season lineup, which also featured Cubarsi and Garcia, seemingly hinting at his frustration over being overlooked.

Since Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, de la Fuente has largely stuck with the players who brought success in Germany. However, the centre-back position has seen the most rotation, with Euro 2024 final starter Robin Le Normand and Dani Vivian both excluded. Nacho Fernandez, too, has not featured in the Spain squad since that tournament.

Although Garcia and Pubill have been standout performers for their respective clubs and Cubarsi has been a consistent pick for de la Fuente since the Euros, Laporte’s experience continues to be valued. Huijsen, on the other hand, struggled to maintain his starting spot in the latter half of the season. De la Fuente mentioned that most of his selection decisions had been settled months in advance, offering little room for late changes.