Published On 5/26/2026
Despite the wave of criticism that Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente was subjected to after he excluded all Real Madrid players from La Roja’s roster participating in the 2026 World Cup, the list of Royal Club players absent from the tournament was not limited to Spaniards only, but rather extended to a number of prominent international names who were excluded from their teams’ accounts for technical or physical reasons.
The Spanish national team roster witnessed the absence of names such as Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos and Fran Garcia, in a move that sparked widespread controversy within Spanish sports circles, especially with the recall of eight players from FC Barcelona.
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But the controversy did not stop at the Spanish national team, as France coach Didier Deschamps decided to exclude midfielder Eduardo Camavinga after a season in which he suffered from injuries and a decline in readiness, even though he was a member of the French national team in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. Full-back Ferland Mendy also continued his absence from the French national team.
In the England national team, coach Thomas Tuchel preferred not to call up full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who recently joined Real Madrid, in a decision that raised questions given his extensive experience at the international level.
There are also doubts about the possibility of calling up young Argentine striker Franco Mastantuno to the Argentine national team roster, after a season in which he did not succeed in fully imposing himself.
On the other hand, the Brazilian national team will miss the services of the duo Eder Militao and Rodrigo due to injury, at a time when coach Carlo Ancelotti is leading the Brazilian national team for the first time in a major tournament.
Despite these absences, Real Madrid will remain strongly present in the World Cup through a group of its prominent stars, led by Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde and Antonio Rudiger, along with Aurelien Chouamini, Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz.
The zero season follows Real Madrid’s stars internationally
This large number of absentees reflects the extent of the decline that Real Madrid has experienced during the current season, after the team came out with a disappointing zero season, which is a rare occurrence in a club that is accustomed to competing for all titles until the last moments.
Although Real Madrid has a group that includes world-class names such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, the team has lacked technical balance and tactical stability throughout the season, in light of the large number of injuries and a decline in team performance, in addition to a state of tension within the dressing room that was directly reflected in the results.
It also seemed clear that Real Madrid did not succeed in filling the void left by the departure of influential names in the midfield in recent years, which affected the team’s personality and its ability to control the tempo of matches, especially in major confrontations. Media reports considered that the team lacked a clear identity on the field, after repeated problems with defensive organization and weak offensive effectiveness despite the abundance of stars.
The repercussions of the bad season did not stop only at the results, but also extended to the club’s image at the international level, after the presence of its players in the lists of the major teams declined, in an indicator that reflects the decline in the levels of a number of names that were considered basic pillars in their teams during the past years.
The zero season also opened the door to broad questions about the future of the club’s sports project, and the possibility of the administration heading towards a new rebuilding during the upcoming transfer period.
The most prominent Real Madrid players absent from the World Cup
- Danny Carvajal.
- Dean Howison.
- Ferland Mendy.
- Alvaro Carreras.
- Trent Alexander Arnold.
- Edward Camavinga.
- Eder Miltau.
- Rodrigo Goes.
- Gonzalo Garcia.
