Spain leaves Dani Carvajal off preliminary World Cup roster: Which Real Madrid stars made it?
Several Madrid stars are in the 55-player list, but Carvajal, one of Spain’s most trusted veterans, did not.
Spain is heading to the World Cup without Álvaro Morata or Dani Carvajal. That much now appears settled.
Neither the veteran striker nor the longtime Real Madrid defender was included in the 55-man preliminary list the Spanish Football Federation submitted to FIFA on May 11. Spain’s final 26-man squad will be selected from that group, effectively ending both players’ hopes of making the tournament.
The decision means three of the four captains from Spain’s triumphant UEFA Euro campaign, Morata, Jesús Navas and Carvajal, will not be part of Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup squad. While the Spain coach had avoided giving a definitive answer in public, sources tell this newspaper the call has already been made.
Two pillars of Spain’s recent success
Morata and Carvajal were central figures during one of the most successful stretches in recent Spanish national team history.
Their value extended far beyond the field. Both were respected veteran leaders inside the locker room and key voices during major tournaments. That is part of what made the decision so difficult for De la Fuente and his staff.
But injuries, inconsistency and lack of playing time ultimately worked against both players.
Carvajal has endured a brutal stretch physically, missing 109 days of action because of a muscle injury, a knee problem and a fractured toe on his right foot, an injury he is still recovering from. Even when healthy, he struggled to establish regular playing time at Real Madrid, ranking just 21st on the team in minutes played with 886.
Morata’s struggles in Italy
Morata, meanwhile, hoped a move to Como and a reunion with former Spain teammate Cesc Fàbregas would help reignite his career ahead of the World Cup. That spark never truly arrived.
The striker’s lack of production ultimately outweighed his leadership and experience.
Morata, Spain’s fourth all-time leading scorer with 37 goals in 87 international appearances, managed just one goal in 28 matches this season. His omission had increasingly felt inevitable after recent national team call-ups.
Both Morata and Carvajal were included in Spain’s UEFA Nations League Final Four squad and also made the first roster of the season in September. But both were left out in October, November and March.
Now they are set to miss the World Cup as well.
That leaves Rodri, Unai Simón and Ferran Torres as the likely leaders of Spain’s new captaincy group heading into the tournament.
De la Fuente hinted at Carvajal decision
Carvajal had continued to hold out hope until the final stages of the selection process and is reportedly close to returning for Real Madrid against Oviedo.
De la Fuente recently addressed the defender’s situation publicly and, while he stopped short of ruling him out, his comments hinted at the direction Spain was heading.
“He doesn’t have anything serious,” De la Fuente said recently. “But he needs time to show the level he’s capable of. We’ll see if he can prove it and if he gets the opportunity. Just like I once made the decision to bring him into the national team, he’ll understand if I have to make the opposite decision.”
That opposite decision now appears to have been made.
For the moment, at least, Carvajal’s Spain career appears paused at 52 international appearances.
Real Madrid trio included in preliminary World Cup squad
Carvajal’s Real Madrid teammates Dean Huijsen, Fran García and Gonzalo García have been included on the 55-player list, although only Huijsen looks to be guaranteed a spot in the final 26-man squad.
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