Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has revealed that the desire to keep winning within his squad was evident within minutes of their World Cup final triumph in New Jersey, as he prepares his newly-crowned world champions for a landmark trip to Wembley to face England on September 26.
Speaking as he named his first squad since the 19 July final, De la Fuente recounted how one of his longest-serving players approached him almost immediately after the trophy was lifted to ask what challenge lay next. His response, he said, was to point straight ahead to the fixture against England.
The squad announced at Las Rozas showed remarkable continuity with the group that conquered the World Cup. Of the 26 players who were part of that triumph, only four are absent, each for a specific reason: Marcos Llorente has retired from international football, Joan García is sidelined through injury, Borja Iglesias is not fully fit, and Gavi will serve a suspension for the Wembley clash, despite being available for the subsequent matches against Croatia and Czechia.
Fermín López returns to the fold having missed the World Cup due to injury, while Josep Martínez, Dean Huijsen and Roberto Fernández have also been included. Pedro Porro withdrew from the squad and was replaced by Iván Fresneda.
Defending his selection philosophy, De la Fuente questioned why he would break from a group that has delivered so much success. He acknowledged there were candidates pushing for inclusion, notably Sergio Camello and Carlos Espí, who competed alongside Fernández for a striking role, but stressed there had been little time for anyone to build a stronger case than the players who returned from the United States as champions.
Martínez, the Inter goalkeeper, is technically not entirely new to the setup, having earned a cap during the pandemic-delayed build-up to Euro 2020 when Spain's under-21 side, then managed by De la Fuente, filled in for the senior team. Asked whether Unai Simón's position as first-choice goalkeeper might be under threat, De la Fuente praised Simón's record-breaking World Cup performances but suggested he may be afforded some continuity in goal.
The coach did note that changes to the squad would eventually come, describing several players as