Spain World Cup 2026: La Roja to fall short despite being the favourites

Spain come into the FIFA World Cup as the bookies' favourite to go all the way. They have their European Championship triumph two years ago to thank for that. There's no disputing that La Roja have a strong chance of claiming their second world title, but there are some other strong nations who will look to stand in their way.

Below you will find my Spain World Cup 2026 predictions, as I assess their squad and their chances of winning the tournament.

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Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garcia (Barcelona).

Defenders: Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)

Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Gavi (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (Paris St-Germain), Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Victor Munoz (Osasuna), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo)

Spain are about to embark on a 13th consecutive campaign at the World Cup finals and there is a lot of hype surrounding La Roja heading into the 2026 edition.

Luis de la Fuente's side raised eyebrows with their Euro 24 success in Germany and now they are being monitored closely ahead of the World Cup after winning three consecutive tournaments between 2010 and 2012.

Spain had a strong qualifying campaign as they topped Group E with 16 points from six games. La Roja have been on a resurgence since parting ways with Luis Enrique in 2022 and they are now in an exciting period that could mirror the accomplishments of their golden generation over a decade ago.

World Cup Odds

De la Fuente's side are the ranked second in the world right now, so going by this list, two-time champions France pose the biggest threat to Spain in North America.

There's a good blend of talent in their 26-man squad, which includes arguably the best goalkeeper in the world right now, David Raya. However, Unai Simon is currently De la Fuente's first choice shot-stopper, so this potentially raises a huge dilemma for the coach.

Chelsea's Marc Cucurella is considered one of the best left-backs in the world and after an impressive Euro 24 campaign, there will be plenty of keen eyes on his performances at the World Cup.

Spain's midfield roster is filled with talent that consists of experienced heads Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz, as well as the youthful talents of Alex Baena, Yeremy Pino, Gavi and Pedri.

Generational talent Lamine Yamal is the standout name in the attacking list and he's likely to get people off their seats in the coming weeks.

Group H Fixtures:

15 June 12pm local (5pm BST) - vs Cape Verde (Atlanta)

21 June 12pm local (5pm BST) - vs Saudi Arabia (Atlanta)

26 June 6pm local (27 June 1am BST) - vs Uruguay (Guadalajara)

Player to watch: Lamine Yamal

Yamal was crowned Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 24 after several glittering performances, and after two more seasons of development with Barcelona, the 18-year-old looks set to play an even bigger role for La Roja on his World Cup debut.

The winger had his domestic season ended early because of a hamstring injury. At first it was believed he would miss the first few games at the World Cup, but De la Fuente has confirmed that Yamal is recovering ahead of schedule and could be set to play in their opener against Cape Verde.

Football Odds

Prediction: Semi-finals

Before you scoff at my prediction, know first that I have already backed France to win the World Cup. As much as I would like to see Spain be the team they battle in the final, it's not possible.

They're both in the same side of the bracket and they could bet set for a confrontation in the semi-finals. I think that Spain will breeze through their group and I can't see them facing too many issues in the early rounds of the knockout stage.

Should they then draw France in the semi-finals, I'm sorry Spain fans but this is where I think the adventure will end.