Spain World Cup squad 2022: Which players will represent the Red Fury in this World Cup?

Spain World Cup squad 2022: Which players will represent the Red Fury in this World Cup?

Bertha Wanjiku
updated at August 9, 2023 at 9:30 AM

Since their first World Cup appearance in 1934, Spain has played in sixteen tournaments and won for the first time in 2010 in South Africa. As they look to clinch this year's title, their coach named the twenty-six-man 2022 World Cup squad. Who made it to the list to represent his country?

Spain World Cup squad 2022
Spanish team poses for a photo before the UEFA Nations League League A Group 2 match between Spain and Switzerland at La Romareda on 24th September 2022, in Zaragoza, Spain. Photo by Xavi Bonilla.
Source: Getty Images

The Red Fury has consistently qualified for the World Cup since 1978, and 2022 is no different. The team includes some formidable talents like Sergio Busquets, considered one of his generation's best midfielders. Explore more about Spain's 2022 World Cup squad. Who's in and out?

Spain's World Cup squad

La Roja has a history of remarkable players in international matches, especially in their previous World Cup appearances. Spain is one of eight national teams to be world champions in the 16 of 22 FIFA World Cups they have participated in. They won in 2010 after defeating the Netherlands.

Spain World Cup squad
Supporters celebrate the Spanish squad's 2010 FIFA World Cup victory at the Plaza Cibeles in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Denis Doyle.
Source: Getty Images

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Spain World Cup squad announcement

On 11 November 2022, Luis Enrique made the squad announcement via the Royal Spanish Football Federation website, highlighting which players would represent the Las Rojas in Qatar. His team revamp was packed with ambitious players full of red-hot aptitude who will bring the team closer to being the champs again.

Spain world cup squad 2022

Spain has brought a well-balanced squad to Qatar. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are among the last members of the golden generation who are likely to be playing their last World Cup in 2022. They are the captain and vice-captain, respectively.

Spain World Cup squad 2022
Players in the La Roja squad pose for a team photo during the EURO 2019 qualifier match against Sweden at the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden. Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates.
Source: Getty Images

Goalkeepers

Enrique's choice of shot-stoppers for the tournament is young and agile. He excluded seasoned athletes like Kepa Arrizabalaga and David De Gea from the lineup. From a huge array of potential keepers, he chose the following:

Player

Jersey number

Club

Unai Simon

23

Athletic Bilbao

Robert Sanchez

1

Brighton & Hove Albion

David Raya

13

Brentford

Defenders

The team has one of the best defence line worldwide, but unfortunately, some icons will not represent the country. On 18 November 2022, Jose Gaya was injured and replaced Alejandro Balde in the Qatar squad. Veterans like Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique will also be notably absent.

Player

Jersey number

Club

Dani Carvajal

20

Real Madrid

Cesar Azpilicueta

2

Chelsea

Eric Garcia

3

Barcelona

Hugo Guillamon

15

Valencia

Pau Torres

4

Villarreal

Aymeric Laporte

24

Manchester City

Jordi Alba

18

Barcelona

Alejandro Balde

14

Barcelona

Midfielders

The playmakers of the squad include some new talents like 18-year-old Gavi, and seasoned players like Busquets, one of the most capped players in the national team.

Player

Jersey number

Club

Sergio Busquets

5

Barcelona

Rodri

16

Manchester City

Gavi

9

Barcelona

Carlos Soler

19

PSG

Marcos Llorente

6

Atletico Madrid

Pedri

26

Barcelona

Koke

8

Atletico Madrid

Forwards

Spain is known for scoring quality goals, and the team given the responsibility of earning their country points in Qatar are some of the best strikers in their respective clubs.

Player

Jersey number

Club

Ferran Torres

11

Barcelona

Nico Williams

12

Athletic Bilbao

Yeremy Pino

17

Villarreal

Alvaro Morata

7

Atletico Madrid

Marco Asensio

10

Real Madrid

Pablo Sarabia

22

PSG

Dani Olmo

21

RB Leipzig

Ansu Fati

25

Barcelona

Who didn't make the Spain squad in 2022?

Some bigwigs will be in the bleachers during this event. They include Man United star David De Gea, Sergio Ramos, Marcos Alonso and Thiago Alcantara. Despite good performances at their respective clubs, coach Luis Enrique excluded them for technical reasons, putting his faith in younger talents instead, like 19-year-old Pedri.

Spain's home jersey

Adidas and the RFEF collaborated to release the new home jersey of Spain's national football team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Staying true to their nickname, "La Roja", which means "red" in Spanish, the first kit is also red. Navy blue is the secondary colour. Their second kit is a light blue jersey.

Which players will represent the Red Fury this World Cup?
Spain's defender Marcos Alonso shoots the ball during the UEFA Nations League semifinal match between Italy and Spain at the San Siro stadium in Milan on 6th October 2021. Photo by FRANCK FIFE.
Source: Getty Images

How many players from Barcelona will be in the World Cup??

Alejandro Balde's addition to the Qatar squad, following Gaya's injury, raised the number of Barca players in Spain's World Cup squad to seventeen. This number is the most number of players from one club in the Qatar 26-man-squad. Other seasoned athletes like captain Sergio Busquets from Barcelona, will also be in the lineup.

Will Thiago go to the World Cup?

The 31-year-old Liverpool midfielder will cheer his country from afar in the Qatar World Cup. He was not included in the squad, perhaps because of his age. Thiago Alcantara was born in Italy to Brazilian parents but grew up in Spain and has represented his national team since 2008.

Spain players who will represent the Red Fury this World Cup
David De Gea celebrates after Marcus Rashford scored during a Premier League match between Manchester United and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford. Photo by Catherine Ivill
Source: Getty Images

Is De Gea in the Spain squad in 2022?

Despite being named the best goalkeeper in the world by many, the Man United goalie will not be representing his country in Qatar. De Gea fell out of favour with manager Luis Enrique in recent months, partly due to his inability to play remarkably from the back. His position was seized by Brighton's Robert Sanchez and Brentford's David Raya.

Spain's World Cup roster

The Red Fury will play in Group E alongside Costa Rica, Germany and Japan. On 23rd November, they are set to play Costa Rica at the Al Thumama stadium, then face Germany at the Al Bayt stadium on 27th November. Their final match in the group stage will be against Japan on 1st December, at the Khalifa International stadium.

Spain's World Cup squad
Spain's players celebrate with the World Cup trophy after beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final at the FNB Stadium on 11th July 2010, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Simon Bruty.
Source: Unknown

Should the team be victorious at the group stage, they will proceed to the semifinals and then the quarter-finals. Since 1978, Spain has been eliminated at either the Round of 16 or the group stage, except in 2010, when they were the world champions.

As one of the football powerhouses of Europe, the Spain World Cup squad in 2022 consists of players with the potential to take home the most coveted trophy. With some seasoned athletes being left out, fans, pundits and commentators are eager to see whether the new blood has what it takes to replace the old guard.

READ ALSO: Qatar's World Cup squad in 2022: Which players have been chosen to defend the home ground?

Sportsbrief.com published an article about Qatar's World Cup squad in 2022. The gulf nation automatically earned a spot to participate in the tournament as the hosts. This event will also be the first tournament held in the Arab world.

The players who made the cut are incredibly talented in their respective clubs, and they hope to make their country shine in the most awaited football event in 2022. Click on the above link to learn more.

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Bertha Wanjiku