The Spanish national team won the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer. However, because the team advanced all the way to the final, the players’ preparations for the new season have also been affected.

According to the regulations of the International Professional Footballers’ Association, players are entitled to at least 21 consecutive days of vacation after the end of the season. However, for the 26 players who won the World Cup, this would mean almost completely skipping the preseason training period and moving directly from vacation mode into high-intensity competitive matches — an almost impossible task.

Statistics show that 11 of the 26 players in the World Cup-winning squad have still not played a single minute for their clubs this season.

Among the 18 Spanish clubs currently competing in La Liga, most players have already made substitute appearances in recent friendlies. Even more concerning is that Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Pedro González, Ferran Torres and eight other players have yet to feature in a full match, despite having several more opportunities to build fitness before the season gets underway.

The situation is similar for players competing abroad. After returning from the World Cup, Rodri received a warm welcome from his teammates, but he has not yet been included in the squad. Iñaki Williams has already been selected for Athletic Club’s preseason squad, while Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva is expected to return to the squad ahead of the Champions League, but he has been unable to train for a full week due to his physical condition.

It is not only the World Cup winners who are facing fitness concerns. Players who participated in the tournament are also dealing with similar problems. Among them, Manchester United’s Lamine Yamal may be one of the biggest concerns. Atlético Madrid’s Álvaro Morata, Arsenal’s Mikel Merino, Manchester City’s Rodri and Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal are all dealing with fitness issues, which could affect their preparations for the upcoming season.

Spain captain Sergio Busquets is particularly affected. His club has barely had any preparation time before the start of the league season, making the situation extremely risky. In addition, Real Madrid’s Lucas Vázquez is still recovering from injury and has yet to return to full-team training.

Players such as Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, Nico Williams and Athletic Club teammate Mikel Oyarzabal have accumulated less than one hour of playing time throughout the preseason.

In the same group, Benfica’s Alejandro Grimaldo is an exception. Although he only reported to training one week later than his teammates, he came on as a substitute during the final stages of both friendly matches. Another player who has maintained a sense of competitive sharpness is goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, but this is mainly because he has not played many matches for his club during the World Cup period, meaning his physical workload has been relatively low.