Overview
- Spain manager Luis de la Fuente on Monday named a 26‑player squad built around eight Barcelona players and with no Real Madrid selections, a choice he defended as based on form not club allegiance and said injured picks would be managed with club medical teams.
- The Guardian published what it said was Mauricio Pochettino’s full USMNT 26‑man squad on May 24, a leak that US Soccer has not formally confirmed and that contains unexpected inclusions and omissions.
- Analysts reading the reported US list note the presence of six players who can play centre‑back, a composition that signals Pochettino may use a back‑three or back‑five option and favour aggressive, transition‑minded play.
- Rosters remain changeable up to FIFA’s deadline because of late injuries and fitness questions, a concern sharpened by recent club developments such as Lionel Messi’s thigh substitution and the compressed calendar around cup finals and managerial moves.
- Season‑end events — Arsenal’s title run and Champions League final, Pep Guardiola’s City farewell, and Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea appointment — are tightening club‑country tradeoffs and could influence final squad availability and transfer decisions before the World Cup.