Published on 5/30/2026
Spanish national football team doctor Oscar Luis Celada confirmed that La Roja is entering the 2026 World Cup with an atmosphere of optimism, with most of the team’s players in good physical condition before the start of the tournament, which strengthens Spain’s hopes of appearing strong during the tournament.
Celada explained that the national team players; Lamine Jamal (Barcelona striker), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao winger), and Mikel Merino (Arsenal midfielder) will enter the World Cup competitions without full physical readiness due to injury, ruling out their full recovery before the opening confrontation against Cape Verde, which is scheduled to be held next June 15 at Atlanta Stadium in the United States of America, but at the same time he expressed his hope that they will regain full physical fitness during the group stage.
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Celada explained – in an interview with the Spanish News Agency (EFE) on the sidelines of his participation in the thirtieth session of the “Spanish Association of Football Club Physicians” in the city of Oviedo – that this decision concerns a group that includes “three or four” players, expressing his confidence in the ability of this group to gradually recover and participate in playing minutes during the rest of the group stage matches, as Spain also faces the Saudi Arabian national team on June 21, then the Uruguay national team on the 27th of the same month.
Balance of strength and physical rates
The Spanish national team doctor – who also holds the position of Atletico Madrid club doctor – stated that the national team faces the World Cup in a state of “optimism” with a large part of the squad in good physical condition, adding that the arrival of a group of players suffering from injuries or excessive muscle loads (physical impact) was “expected” as a result of the intensity and succession of matches in various local and international leagues.
He added that this situation is not limited to Spain, but extends to several other teams that are candidates for the title, which restores the “balance of power” between the teams to some extent.
Celada (born in 1966 in Luarca, Asturias) pointed out that the medical staff of the Spanish Football Federation conducted a “comprehensive” study of the physical condition of all 26 players included in the call-up list, especially those who were injured, and the results were delivered to the technical director and the training staff, stressing that these players are “recoverable,” even though the levels of performance required in high competitions may not be achieved from day one.
The doctor stated that increasing the rest period between matches to five days in the group stage will contribute positively to the process of recovery from injuries and overloads.
Classification of teams and deciding factors
In his analysis of the level of competitiveness, Celada stated that the Spanish League is “one of the most competitive leagues in the world” along with the leagues of England, Germany, Argentina, and Brazil, and these are competitions in which players are forced to play matches every three or four days, which increases the possibility of fatigue and injury.
In this regard, he made it clear that the players of the nominated teams who were exhausted with their European clubs would not reach the World Cup in ideal conditions befitting the high level of the tournament.
Celada classified the teams of Germany, England, Portugal, Argentina, and Brazil as the strongest potential competitors for Spain in the knockout rounds, anticipating the emergence of “surprises” as is the nature of World Cup tournaments, and the Colombian national team will be nominated to play this role.
Regarding the factors for winning, he stressed that the World Championship, which brings together the best players from each country, is influenced “a lot by luck,” which is sometimes decisive, along with physical abilities, technique, strategy, individual skills, and motivation, highlighting the “fundamental” role of mental strength and group cohesion in achieving results.
Celada said, “Brains are very important and energy is not limited to calories derived from food.”
MicroUSB technology
On the technical medical side, the doctor reviewed the development of sports medicine over the past decades and the introduction of diagnostic methods based on high technology, anticipating that athletes in the near future will resort to implanting a “microchip” under the skin to accurately monitor their vital indicators and improve performance.
In this regard, he said: “Comprehensive diagnosis and control via electronic chips has become possible because the technology already exists.”
But he also pointed out that there are ethical and legal dilemmas related to protecting personal data when these systems are implanted in the body, which requires obtaining explicit consent from players and including special clauses in contracts.
Celada added that these chips will be useful and practical for knowing the players’ sleep quality, their body’s hydration levels, and their heart rates, despite their clash with the principle of privacy, warning against the “misuse” of data sometimes to make decisions without careful analysis.
At the conclusion of his statements, Celada stressed that the responsibility of sports medicine is to balance performance evaluation and preserving the player’s health, pointing out that the phenomenon of resorting to stimulants and banned substances has declined compared to previous decades as a result of increased controls and fear of penalties.
