Real Madrid Star Dean Huijsen Snubbed: Why Spain Left Him Off the 2026 World Cup Roster
Daniel Kim Views
Translation result.
[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Geon-ho] Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen has spoken out after being left off Spain’s World Cup squad.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente named 26 players for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. For the first time in the nation’s history, no Real Madrid player made the Spain roster.
British outlet SportsBible wrote on May 28 (KST) that Spain will, for the first time, head to the World Cup without a single Real Madrid player and that Huijsen was among the most surprising omissions when de la Fuente released his 26-man squad.
Huijsen joined Real Madrid last June after leaving AFC Bournemouth. The transfer fee was £50 million (about 101 billion KRW, approximately $75.75 million).
He made 40 appearances this season for Real Madrid. Injuries forced him to miss several matches, but he still established himself as a first-choice center-back.
De la Fuente called Huijsen up for the March international window. He didn’t play against Serbia on March 28, but he started and completed the full match against Egypt on April 1.
SportsBible added that people close to Huijsen had assumed he would make the World Cup squad, in part because he appeared in promotional campaigns tied to this summer’s tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
When he missed the final cut, Huijsen posted his first statement on social media on May 27. He congratulated the teammates who did make the squad and said he will, like every other Spaniard, be cheering them on from home.
Spain, winners of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, will chase a second title 16 years later. They are drawn with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in the group stage.
Most Read
-
‘Choi Yubin♥’ Yoonhoo shares Han River date photos — \”Still chilly at night\”
-
‘Hospital Director♥’ Lee Jung-hyun speaks at Seoul National University; praised for eloquence and partnership
-
‘Dating rumor’ DAY6’s Dowoon posts ambiguous message → quits amid truck protest
Most Commented