The Four Biggest Storylines for Spain at the 2026 World Cup

The European champion enters the tournament among the favorites.

Spain are pinning their hopes on Lamine Yamal’s fitness. | Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

Sixteen years on from winning its first World Cup, Spain ranks among the favorites to add another star to the jersey in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

Luis de la Fuente’s team may have evolved and changed since their European Championship win in 2024, but the swagger and positive environment remains.

Few teams can boast Spain’s heady mix of a talented roster, tactically astute manager and recent trophy-winning experience. Yet, while the facts look good on paper, the Spanish know as well as anyone that a strong CV only gets you so far at the World Cup.

Here are four storylines to watch out for with Spain this summer.

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Lamine Yamal’s Fitness

Lamine Yamal will make his World Cup debut this summer. | Xavi Bonilla/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images

While it would be unfair to suggest he carries the team, Spain are an altogether different proposition without Lamine Yamal in the lineup.

The 18-year-old Barcelona star was a revelation at Euro 2024 and has continued to develop into a world beater for club and country in the two years since. The Ballon d’Or runner-up scored 24 goals and registered 15 assists for Barça in the season just gone and is integral in providing game-changing drive and ankle-twisting trickery for Spain.

A nasty hamstring injury suffered in mid-April initially had many initially fearing Yamal would be forced to miss this summer’s tournament entirely. However, he has been included in Spain’s World Cup roster with De la Fuente hopeful his star forward might even play a part in the first group game against Cabo Verde on June 15.

Reintroducing Yamal too soon after injury, however, could cause further problems.

While Spain and De la Fuente sweat over their superstar’s fitness, there is the added complication that two more wingers in Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz are also racing to be fit in time for the start of the tournament.

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The Case for the Defense

Aymeric Laporte is one of Spain’s center back options. | Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images

Spain’s midfield three, wingers—when fit—and striker come close to picking themselves at this point, but there are still questions regarding De la Fuente’s best backline.

Marc Cucurella and Marcos Llorente might be locks for the fullback berths, but it’s still unclear who will start at center back from Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Pubill.

32-year-old Laporte, the only defender in the roster with more than 25 caps, may end up first choice alongside one of the younger options given his experience, but the veteran has not enjoyed his finest season in a leaky Athletic Club team.

Cubarsí starting the pre-tournament friendly win over Peru could be a hint that the Barcelona teenager will be preferred over Pubill and García.

Meanwhile, De la Fuente has been loyal to Unai Simón as his No.1, but there is serious debate over whether Premier League Golden Glove winner David Raya or Barcelona’s Zamora Trophy winner Joan Garcia might be better options. Having three top-class goalkeepers is all well and good, but only one can actually play.

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Oyarzabal’s Time to Shine

Mikel Oyarzabal hits the tournament in fine form. | Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images

For all the talk of Spain’s stacked roster of household names, La Roja might quietly have one of the most underrated strikers at the tournament.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored a more-than-respectable 15 goals for Real Sociedad in La Liga in 2025–26, but it is at international level where he really shines. The 29-year-old has 25 goals in 53 appearances for Spain—including 12 in his last 11 outings.

The No. 9 position has been a problem area for Spain since Fernando Torres and David Villa retired, but Oyarzabal—who also bagged the winner in the Euro 2024 final win over England—has made the position his own.

The converted winger hit a rocket to open the scoring two minutes into Spain’s final warm-up game against Peru, putting World Cup defenses on alert.

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Meeting Expectations

Spain’s recent success has not yet been extended to the World Cup. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Spain has enjoyed tremendous success in recent years, winning Euro 2024, the 2022–23 Nations League, an Olympic silver medal and multiple tournaments at age-cap level under De la Fuente. However, the World Cup has not been kind to La Roja.

Since their maiden victory in South Africa back in 2010, Spain has not won a single knockout match.

Upon arriving at the 2014 tournament in Brazil as defending champions, Spain got given a rude awakening by Netherlands, losing 5–1 in the opener. After exiting that tournament at the group stage, Spain could only make it as far as the last 16 in the following two World Cups, losing to Russia then Morocco in 2018 and 2022—both times on penalties. Interestingly, Spain has lost the most shootouts of any nation in World Cup history, with four defeats from five.

Expectations are justifiably high this time around after the Euros triumph and a swaggering qualification record, but ghosts will need to be laid to rest if Spain is to make it deep this summer.

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