Lamine Yamal and 4 Spain stars to know ahead of 2026 World Cup

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Lamine Yamal and 4 Spain stars to know ahead of 2026 World Cup

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Jun 8, 2026 ·

5 min read

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The Spain national football team enters the 2026 World Cup as the favorite to win it all. They have arguably the best player in the world in Lamine Yamal , the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, Rodri , and a deep, talented roster that is almost entirely under 30, with most under 25. With that in mind, here are the five top Spain stars predicted to lift the trophy at this North American World Cup.

Lamine Yamal , Wing, Barcelona (Spain)

Lamine Yamal won't legally be able to sip champagne if his team lifts the World Cup trophy in New Jersey, but the 18-year-old is already the best player on the best overall team on the planet. The Barcelona starlet built on his 18-goal, 25-assist 2024-25 campaign with 24 goals and 18 assists this past season.

He became the youngest player to win La Liga Player of the Year, and FOX Soccer voted Yamal the No. 1 player in the World Cup this year over established legends like Kylian Mbappe , Harry Kane , and ErlingHaaland.

This should be Yamal's coming out party, where he shows football fans everywhere what he can do on the way to becoming a household name. However—and you'll see a pattern of this issue below—the only thing that can stop him is injuries. Yamal suffered an injury in late April and has not played a competitive football match since then.

Yamal is reportedly fully healthy, and if he can stay that way, he should be the star of this World Cup. That said, injuries are the primary concern for this incredible player and his equally excellent squad.

Rodri, Defensive Midfielder, Manchester City (England)

At 27, Rodri won the Ballon d'Or as the best player in all of football. Two years and just 40 appearances for Manchester City later, Rodi comes into this World Cup with tons of questions swirling around him.

Injuries have plagued the defensive midfielder, but this season he was healthy enough to play in 21 Premier League matches for City, by far his most since the end of the 2023-24 campaign. But with an uncertain future at the Etihad and his body untrustworthy, it's fair to ask what the Spaniards will get from their captain.

At his best, Rodri creates a seamless link between the defense and attack and is a one-man counterattack stopper. If Spain gets prime Rodri for this World Cup, the other players on this list will flourish. If he goes out, it will put a ton of pressure on 21-year-old Gavi and the next player on this list, Pedri .

Pedri, Midfielder, Barcelona (Spain)

Still just 23, Pedri is one of the best midfielders in all of football. His dribbling, passing, and intelligence make him a player who can float seamlessly between holding, central, and attacking midfielder roles. With Rodri by his side, Pedri should be able to go forward and create chances for himself and the likes of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams . And against a tough attack, he'll form a brilliant double pivot with the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.

Pedri is a key to this Spanish side, but of course… that is if he stays healthy.

The young midfielder has been healthy and in good form of late, but from Nov. of 2025 to Feb. 2025, Pedri missed 10 of Barcelona's 16 games in that stretch with various ailments. The Spain national tream fans hope that was just a blip on the radar, and his La Liga home stretch where he helped Barca win the title is more liek what they see in the World Cup.

Nico Williams, Wing, Athletic Bilbao (Spain)

Without a pure striker on the roster, Spain's wings will be counted on to provide a lot of the firepower in this tournament. Opposite Lamal is Nico Williams, who put up six goals and seven assists in limited time for Athletic Bilbao because of, you guessed it, injuries.

Williams, who is electric on the left wing, missed five of his team's eight Champions League matches this season and had two La Liga streaks where he missed four, then six, then three consecutive games.

Spain does have a few players, like Ferran Torres or Victor Munoz, who could come in and pick up the slack, but what makes the Spanish so dangerous is Lamal on one side and Williams on the other, and missing that would be tough.

Marc Cucurella , Left Back, Chelsea (England)

Finally, we get a Spain national team member who has been almost entirely healthy heading into the World Cup. Marc Cucurella is one of the best fullbacks playing right now, and slotting in behind Lamine Yamal will get him even more room to go forward. Cucurella will likely have to contend with some great wingers in the knockout stages, but if anyone will be unfazed by that, it's him.

What may have Cucurella is the drama surrounding his professional career. He wants to leave Chelsea this summer, and the Blues seem like they are going to oblige. Atletico Madrid , Real Madrid , and Manchester City are all interested, but the most likely outcome is that he goes back to his teenage club, Barcelona. If he shows out in the 2026 World Cup, he'll do so as a conquering hero and a very rich man.

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