Luis Enrique has named his 26-man Spain squad for the World Cup later this month.
The seven Barcelona players who are a part of the team are Ansu Fati, Pedri, Gavi, Eric Garcia, Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Ferran Torres.
Thiago Alcantara of Liverpool and David de Gea of Manchester United are absent from the lineup. Sergio Ramos, a defender for Paris Saint-Germain, is also not included on the roster.
Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea is one of the five Premier League players present.
Robert Sanchez from Brighton and David Raya from Brentford are also on the team. However, Chelsea goalie Kepa Arrizabalaga is not.
Ansu Fati, a forward for Barcelona, has been selected by manager Luis Enrique despite missing much of the previous two years due to injuries.
Alvaro Morata, and Nico Williams, a winger for Athletic Bilbao who only made his international debut in September, will all be traveling to Qatar.
Spain is in Group E with Japan, Costa Rica, and Germany.
Spainās World Cup squad is here ?? pic.twitter.com/vBgObfSw2v
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 11, 2022
Luis Enrique speaks about Busquets and Fati’s selection
On Busquets Selection
The lone member of the roster from the 2010 World Cup-winning team is Busquets, who will lead Spain in the tournament.
“My goal is to convince Busquets to play in another World Cup. I am not joking. I don’t see a better pivot in the world than Busi for our system.” the Spain national team manager said in his press conference after announcing the squad.
On inclusion of Ansu Fati
The inclusion of Ansu Fati was one of Enrique’s reservations until the eleventh hour. Still, he ultimately chose to support the 20-year-old.
“Until the very last moment, it had been one of the uncertainties. We placed the first bet on him. The level of Ansu is beyond dispute. He had a challenging process. I was unsure until the very last second,” Enrique stated.
“I’ve been influenced by my hope for finding the ideal version of Ansu. Is he nearby? We shall see. I’ll observe him as he trains. He has played more games for BarĆĀ§a but has yet to establish himself due to the competition.”
āļø Ansu Fati started crying when he found out he was in Luis Enrique's @SEFutbol squad. According to his entourage, the injury stage has now closed. Physically, they say, he's very well. [cat radio] #fcblive ??āļø
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 11, 2022
On naming seven Barcelona players in Squad
“I don’t look at what club they are from, and I don’t aim to base myself on a team,” Enrique said.
“I don’t consider factors like age, the number of players from each club, etc. These are the qualities our team needs to succeed.”
On Pique
He explained: “PiquĆ© was on the pre-list because he was one of the top center-backs and an active player when I gave it.”
“Gerrard competed with his team, although he was injured during the previous season. He is a fierce competitor. When I provided that list, the concept was one of continuity. Still, there were other veterans on the list of 55 who I had no doubts they would deliver.”
