Spain includes Fermin Lopez and Dean Huijsen in Nations League squad after World Cup absence

Spain’s first squad announcement since lifting the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy looks a lot like the one that won it, with a couple of notable additions. Coach Luis de la Fuente named a 26-man group on September 18 that retains 22 players from the championship-winning roster while bringing back Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez and Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen. Both players watched from the sidelines as Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final this past July. Now they get their chance to join the party, just in time for a Nations League opener against England on September 26. The squad shuffle De la Fuente made four total changes from the squad that conquered the world this summer. Lopez and Huijsen return alongside two players earning their first senior call-ups: goalkeeper Josep Martinez from Inter Milan and striker Roberto Fernandez from Espanyol. Lopez, 23, missed the entire World Cup due to a fifth metatarsal fracture. That’s the small bone on the outside of the foot, the same injury that has derailed countless footballers’ tournament dreams over the years. His absence was particularly painful given his form at Barcelona, where he had established himself as a key cre...