Real Madrid star left out of Spain World Cup squad after nightmare season with teammate in running to take his spot

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has named his 55-man preliminary squad list for World Cup 2026 and one Real Madrid star has been omitted.

Real Madrid will end the 2025-26 season trophyless after Alvaro Arbeloa stepped in to replace Xabi Alonso as the club's head coach in January.

Speculation is rife that Jose Mourinho will be next in line.

It's been a disappointing season for Los Blancos and it's ending in even more miserable fashion for right-back Dani Carvajal, who has been left out of Spain's World Cup squad.

The managers of all 48 squads participating at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July were required to submit their preliminary squad lists to FIFA by Monday, May 11.

Each preliminary list can carry a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 55 players, and serves as the longlist from which the final 26-player squad will be drawn.

In all, 1248 players will travel to the World Cup as active members of their national team squads. But 34-year-old Carvajal will not be one of them.

"Luis de la Fuente himself explained a few days ago that he had spoken on the phone with Dani Carvajal, probably to tell the news to a player who has been an indisputable part of the coach's plans whenever he has been available and who will not be at the World Cup," reports MARCA, which also credits radio journalist Arancha Rodriguez with confirmation of Carvajal's omission.

"The three Real Madrid players on Spain's preliminary roster are [Dean] Huijsen, Fran Garcia , and forward Gonzalo García. FC Barcelona has three times as many representatives as Real Madrid, with nine players among the 55: Joan García, Eric García, [Pau] Cubarsí, Dani Olmo, Pedri, Fermin [Lopez], Gavi, Ferran [Torres], and Lamine [Yamal]."

26-year-old Fran Garcia made his Spain debut in 2023 but has just two senior caps to his name. He's started five of Real Madrid's last eight La Liga matches at left-back.

The end of an era for Dani Carvajal

Carvajal has played 300 league matches for Real Madrid, where he's been a first team player since 2013.

The capital titans' captain has won La Liga four times and the Champions League six times in a stellar club career.

In the summer of 2024, he had the honour of being a European champion at both club level and country level after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid and the European Championship with Spain.

He has won 52 senior caps for his country. If their World Cup squad selection is any indication, there might not be any more.