The group stage draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially been made, and reigning European Champions Spain now know their potential path to the MetLife Stadium-hosted final.
African minnows and tournament debutants Cape Verde, the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup, will meet Luis de la Fuente’s men first up in Atlanta on June 14th. Six days later, La Roja will face Saudi Arabia in the same stadium, before a crunch clash with two-time champions Uruguay in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 26th.
Online betting sites currently list Spain as the favourite to leave the Big Apple on July 19th with their second World Cup trophy in tow, with odds fluctuating between 4/1 and 5/1 across different bookmakers.
However, with those odds fluctuating so wildly, a popular betting tool could well provide the perfect opportunity to maximise value when placing a bet on the Spaniards.
That 20% difference in odds across bookmakers is exactly why savvy punters using the arbitrage calculator at Thunderpick are already smiling, as they know that they may well be able to lay their bets on Spain and guarantee a win somewhere down the line.
The last, and to date only, time Spain lifted the World Cup, the squad was famously made up of almost solely Barcelona players. In that 2010 final against the Netherlands in Johannesburg, seven of the starting eleven turned out for the Blaugrana on a weekly basis, namely David Villa, Pedro, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol, and Gerard Piqué. But which Barca stars look set to start Spain’s opener against Cape Verde next summer? Let’s take a look.
Lamine Yamal
Teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal is undoubtedly the jewel in the Spanish crown at present. The 18-year-old is already Barcelona’s main man, having shone across the last three seasons in Catalonia.
Last term, he netted 18 times and provided a further 25 assists as the Blaugrana romped to a famous domestic treble, beating rivals Real Madrid four times along the way.
Just months prior to that campaign getting underway, Yamal was one of the stars of the show as he helped Spain win the European Championship for a record-breaking fourth time, scoring a stunner against France in the semifinals.
Despite still being just 18, Yamal already has 23 international caps to his name. He will be the first name on the teamsheet next summer and the man tasked with the responsibility of leading Spain to a deep run.
Pedri
Another of Barcelona’s young talents, midfield metronome Pedri, is also a guaranteed starter. The 23-year-old recently returned from a minor hamstring injury to slot straight back into Barcelona’s midfield, and he is expected to do the same next summer.
The Canary Islander played a pivotal role in Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign until a knee injury forced him off after just eight minutes of the quarter-final against Germany, ruling him out for the semi-finals and final.
His persistent fitness concerns now appear largely behind him. He enjoyed a robust and mostly injury-free 2024/25 season under Hansi Flick, and he has made a strong recovery from a brief muscle tear sustained earlier in the current 2025/26 campaign. If he stays fit, he will surely start in North America.
Dani Olmo
Attacking midfielder Dani Olmo was immediately brought back to his boyhood club Barcelona following that Euro 2024 success, with the Blaugrana forking out €55m to secure his services from RB Leipzig. Throughout his 18 months back in Catalonia, he has struggled to nail down a guaranteed starting berth at club level.
He has recently managed to make a more lasting impression, however, netting three goals in his last two starts. Should that form continue and fitness issues evade him, then he will be a crucial cog in de la Fuente’s midfield, just as he was at Euro 2024.
Pau Cubarsí
Throughout the Euro 2024 success, Spain had to rely on two Frenchmen at centre back, namely Aymeric Laporte and Robin Le Normand, both of whom featured for La Roja via naturalisation.
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí was just 17 back then and attempting to make his way in the Barca first team. Fast forward to now, and on the eve of his 19th birthday, the young centre half is a key player in the backline both for the Blaugrana and for the Spanish national team.
Cubarsí started four of Spain’s six World Cup qualifying games, rotating alongside the two aforementioned French-born defenders as well as promising Real Madrid talent Dean Huijsen.
Huijsen and Le Normand are the frontrunners in Luis de la Fuente’s plans for now; however, this could change depending on how these players evolve by the end of the season.
Ferran Torres
If there is one aspect of the Spanish starting eleven that is somewhat lacking, it’s up front. At the European Championship, Alvaro Morata was the striker and captain. Now, however, he is no longer involved in the first team fold, with veteran Borja Iglesias and Porto youngster Samu Aghehowa the only recognised out-and-out strikers.
As such, de la Fuente has often turned towards two different wingers to lead the line. One of them is Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal, the man who scored the winner against England in Berlin last summer. The other is Barcelona’s Ferran Torres. And considering the form of the two men throughout 2025/26, it could well be Torres who gets the nod in North America.
Torres has been in sensational form so far this season, netting 13 times in just 20 games. Oyarzabal, meanwhile, has just five goals to his name. Surely, then, Torres will lead the line against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15th.
