From Ceuta, De la Fuente unveiled his first Spain roster since the World Cup triumph, an emotional video that set the tone.
The 26‑man squad will line up for the Nations League opener, with Croatia twice, England and the Czech Republic awaiting in Group 3 of League A.
Twenty‑two of the call‑ups remain from the title‑winning side, but four champions vanished: keeper Joan García, right‑back Marcos Llorente, midfielder Gavi and forward Borja Iglesias.
García sits out with a knee problem, while Gavi serves a suspension after the final’s altercation; De la Fuente brought in Josep Martínez and Fermín Lopez as replacements.
Llorente and Iglesias both retired from international duty post‑World Cup, prompting the coach to call up Dean Huijsen and Roberto Fernández.
De la Fuente’s new contract outpaces Argentina’s Scaloni yet trails Brazil’s Ancelotti in pay.
Spain’s full squad for this international break
- Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic Club), David Raya (Arsenal), Josep Martínez (Inter Milan).
- Defenders: Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Eric García (Barcelona), Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), Marc Pubill (Atlético Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Alejandro Grimaldo (Atlético Madrid), Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid).
- Midfielders: Rodri (Barcelona), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Pedri (Barcelona), Fabián Ruíz (PSG), Fermín Lopez (Barcelona), Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid).
- Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), Víctor Muñoz (Liverpool), Roberto Fernández (Espanyol), Ferrán Torres (PSG), Dani Olmo (Barcelona). Can this mix sustain Spain’s dominance into the next tournament?
In my view, De la Fuente handled the setbacks admirably, tweaking the list rather than overhauling his philosophy.