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Alvaro Morata has made it clear that he is not shutting the door on his international career after missing Spain's successful 2026 World Cup run. The experienced forward admitted that the intense competition in attack makes a return difficult, but he also spoke fondly about seeing his former team-mates lift the trophy after an honest phone call from Luis de la Fuente.

Morata, now a Leganes forward, has spoken about his feelings after being omitted from the Spain squad that went on to win the 2026 World Cup. The striker, who recently arrived at the club on loan from Como, said that De la Fuente phoned him personally before the provisional squad was officially announced. Morata accepted the call calmly in order to avoid any unnecessary media noise before the tournament.

Even though missing the biggest event in international football was painful, Morata stayed closely linked to the squad and backed them fully from a distance.

Speaking on the 'El Larguero' programme on Cadena SER, Morata explained: "I would have loved to be at the World Cup. But I went to New York almost feeling like a part of it, getting to see so many players who first broke into the national team alongside me.

"You can think about what might have happened if the year had turned out differently, but there's no point. It was already clear to me before Luis de la Fuente named the squad. We're human, and in the end, part of you always holds onto the dream that he'll take you; there's always hope.

"I think I could have contributed to the group and brought good energy, but it was also going to be easier for the boss if I wasn't there. Imagine starting a World Cup and having everyone immediately question what I'm doing there. It was better to avoid that noise.

"Borja [Iglesias] and the other forwards also deserved it. I've always spoken highly of [Mikel] Oyarzabal's quality, just as I have about Ferran [Torres]. He scored the goal I would have loved to score myself, and I was thrilled for him."

Looking back on the conversation with the national team manager, Morata added: "Yes, De la Fuente called me to say I wasn't going. I think it was even before the preliminary squad list came out. I thanked him, told him I completely understood, and wished them all the luck in the world.

"The only thing is, he didn't keep his promise to me - he told me that if he won the title, he'd ride out on a horse holding the trophy... Maybe he still has time (laughs). The lads kept their promises, though - [Marc] Cucurella has his tattoo right there."

Morata has won 87 caps and scored 37 goals for Spain, and he played an important part in their Euro 2024 victory over England in Berlin. However, his most recent international appearance came in a 6-0 win over Turkey in September 2025. On the possibility of returning to the national side, Morata said: "I'm not closing the door; of course I'd like to return."

That said, the striker admitted just how fierce the battle is to lead the line for La Roja: "You have to be honest, and right now that's crazy. I see it as very difficult because of the competition. I was talking about it in the dressing room the other day; we're in a fantastic moment for the No. 9 position with Espi, Gonzalo, Chupe, Arnau, Samu... plus the ones who are already established. I think Spain has the highest level of quality across all positions that we've seen in a long time."

Morata's immediate focus is on getting back to his best form with Leganes in the Segunda Division. The experienced striker is up against a strong new generation of young Spanish attacking talent if he wants to catch De la Fuente's attention again. Regular goals at club level appear to be his only realistic path back into the Spain set-up.