Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has announced a 27-man squad for the final two UEFA Nations League group matches against the Czech Republic and England. Como defender Jacobo Ramon earns a surprise call-up, while physical issues rule out a trio of key Barcelona players.
De la Fuente names 27-man squad for crucial double-header
Spain head coachLuis de la Fuente has unveiled his 27-man national team squad for the final two UEFA Nations League group stage fixtures. La Roja visit the Czech Republic in Prague on Thursday, 12 November, before hosting England at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday, 15 November.
Having won all four matches in the previous international window, the reigning European and Nations League champions have already guaranteed their place in the quarter-finals.
However, De la Fuente’s side are still fighting to secure top spot in Group A3 to gain home advantage for the second leg of the March quarter-final tie, while protecting their 43-match unbeaten streak in official fixtures.
Jacobo Ramon gets shock call-up amidst Barcelona injury blow
The headline inclusion in De la Fuente’s selection is Como centre-back Jacobo Ramon, who earns a maiden senior call-up to reinforce the defensive line alongside Pau Cubarsi, Dean Huijsen, and Aymeric Laporte.
Conversely, injuries have opened the door for squad rotation. A trio of Barcelona regulars—Eric Garcia, Dani Olmo, and Rodri—miss out as they continue their respective recoveries.
The defensive and goalkeeping ranks receive a boost through the returns of Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro and Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, both of whom recovered from physical issues that ruled them out of the previous window.
Full 27-man squad breakdown for November fixtures
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, David Raya, Joan Garcia, Alvaro Valles.
Defenders: Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Pubill, Dean Huijsen, Pedro Porro, Jacobo Ramon, Marc Cucurella, Alex Grimaldo.
Midfielders: Fabian Ruiz, Pedri, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, Alex Baena, Fermin Lopez, Pablo Barrios, Marc Roca.
Forwards: Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Roberto Fernandez, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Ander Barrenetxea.
Group leadership and FIFA ranking state at stake
Despite securing early qualification for the knockout rounds, Spain face two high-stakes tests to round off their group campaign. Holding a three-point lead over England at the top of the group, La Roja aim to build on their previous 3-2 victory over the Three Lions at Wembley.
Additionally, maintaining positive results against the Czechs and English remains vital for preserving Spain’s position as the world’s number one team in the official FIFA rankings.
The squad gathers for their training camp at the Ciudad del Futbol in Las Rozas on Monday, 9 November, before departing for Prague.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia’s legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor’s degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N’Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else’s lineup.
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