Which Spain National Team Players Could Real Madrid Realistically Sign?

Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme has promised to sign a Spain national team star, if he wins next month’s election.

With just over a week left to make his pitch to the club’s socios, the onus is on Riquelme—a 37-year-old green energy entrepreneur—to woo supporters, who (for better or worse) already know what they are getting with the incumbent Florentino Pérez.

The sitting president has yet to make any grand Luís Figo-style pledges, sticking to more vague declarations and leaning hard into past glories.

Instead, it is Riquelme who has made headlines with his teasing of signings and prospective managers.

The CEO of Cox Energy claims to have already lined up the manager he wants to appoint to succeed Álvaro Arbeloa, as well as closing two signings. However, he has not named anyone specifically in public.

Madrid’s Spanish Problem

Enrique Riquelme wants Spain players at Madrid. | Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images

Speaking to COPE after Spain announced its World Cup roster without a single participant from Real Madrid, Riquelme addressed a hot-button topic.

“Real Madrid does not have a single player in the Spanish national team,” he lamented. “In the 16 World Cups that [Spain] have taken part in, there have always been Real Madrid players involved. What jerseys are the Madrid fans or their children going to wear to watch the World Cup? One of Lamine Yamal? As a Madrid fan, that frustrates me, but there is a solution.

“If I become Real Madrid president, I will bring a Spanish national team player who will have played at the World Cup.”

Sure, Madrid having players from the Spain national team makes sense, but could they actually sign from the 26-man World Cup roster?

Realistic Candidates

By far the most obvious option is Víctor Muñoz. The 22-year-old Osasuna winger left Madrid for €5 million ($5.8 million) last summer and the club retains 50% of his economic rights, making a transfer back to the Bernabéu pretty straightforward.

Osasuna sporting director Braulio Vázquez has previously discussed Madrid’s buyback clause on Muñoz, which is reportedly set at just €8 million ($9.5 million).

The flying winger has been a revelation in La Liga this season, earning his spot on the plane to the World Cup after scoring six times and registering four assists in 2025–26.

While Muñoz would represent an easy win for Riquelme’s campaign promise, he may not be a big enough name to satisfy supporters—though a strong World Cup showing may change that. As predominantly a left winger there are also question marks over whether Muñoz would find many opportunities at Madrid when faced with competition from Vinicius Jr.

Instead the name many believe Riquelme to be hinting at with his recent comments is Rodri.

The 29-year-old Manchester City star has long been linked with Real Madrid and would clearly be the kind of blockbuster signing that would ignite the fanbase.

Asked specifically about the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Riquelme told ESPN: “I love that player, he’s a fantastic player and the profile of player Real Madrid should have and who should be playing for the club.”

Outside Shots

Beyond Muñoz and Rodri, there are few other realistic candidates that Madrid could sign for myriad reasons (age profile, better options already, Barcelona affiliation). However, there are a couple that Riquelme—or even Pérez—might have on the radar.

Pedro Porro is one of few players to have emerged from a disastrous Tottenham Hotspur season relatively unscathed. The 26-year-old—along with Marcos Llorente—has replaced Dani Carvajal for Spain and is a solid two-way operator at full back.

There has also been talk that Madrid may enter the market for a target man this summer, in the style of Joselu, who proved a great bench option during the glories of the 2023–24 campaign.

The 33-year-old Borja Iglesias would certainly fit the mold. “The Panda” has hit over 10 goals in each of his last five full seasons in La Liga and offers something markedly different to Madrid’s other attacking options, even if he is not as marketable.

Given their obvious quality as two of the planet’s finest stoppers, David Raya and Unai Simón could both be considered as successors for 34-year-old Thibaut Courtois—though finding a new goalkeeper is highly unlikely to be a priority focus this summer.

How Can Real Madrid Dominate Spain National Team Again?

Dean Huijsen was not called up for Spain for the World Cup. | David Aliaga/NurPhoto/Getty Images.

As outlined by Riquelme, this summer will mark the first time in history that Spain will attend a World Cup without a Real Madrid players in their ranks.

Though this may come as a surprise, it does follow a gradual trend, with the 2022 roster only featuring two Madrid names. Meanwhile, the Euro 2020 team had none. Both rosters were selected by Luis Enrique.

The number jumped up to three under Luis de la Fuente for the successful 2024 Euros. However, all three players (Carvajal, Nacho Fernádez and Joselu) were well into their 30s at the time of the tournament.

In order to achieve Riquelme’s dream of dominating the national team, Madrid will need more than a single signing. Instead, it will take consistent effort and a strategic re-think of their roster planning.

Madrid have targeted a younger profile of player in recent years, but while the Spanish options brought in—like Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras—clearly have the ability, they are yet to truly flourish in a difficult environment.

In addition, Los Blancos must look at how they can successfully integrate their burgeoning academy talents—such as those from the recent Youth League triumph—to build on a long-held tradition of promoting from within to create stars as well as buying them.

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