Dani Carvajal being left out of the Spain squad for the 2026 World Cup might seem incomprehensible to some, but it could have been a fair decision by the manager after noticing that the famous full-back wasn’t getting minutes with his team and had suffered major injuries.
Last season was quite short for Carvajal with Real Madrid, only 17 games and 10 starts, his third-worst season in terms of appearances. That was a clear sign for manager Luis de la Fuente to leave him off the roster, just as Sergio Ramos was left out a few years ago by a managerial decision as well.
These last two seasons have been painful for Carvajal; that 2024 injury, the cruciate ligament tear in his knee, changed many things for him. Although it is probable that he will return to his top form for the next World Cup, it is not guaranteed that he will be available.
How old will Carvajal be for the 2030 World Cup?
By the 2030 World Cup, Carvajal will already be 38 years old, which puts him in a considerably difficult position to go to another big international event with Spain. However, he could help his national team in the qualifiers and even by playing in UEFA Euro 2028.
Even though Carvajal will be nearly 40 by 2030, he has always been a player who keeps himself in peak shape. But it won’t all depend on that; it will also be necessary to take into account whether the same manager is still in charge of Spain and decides to call him up.
How Spain lines up without Carvajal
Spain has multiple options to cover the right-back position in defense that used to belong to Carvajal. Among them is Marcos Llorente, an established player with Atletico Madrid.
The other two options, in case things don’t work out with Llorente and Luis de la Fuente needs to make adjustments, are Pedro Porro of Tottenham Hotspur and the young Marc Pubill.
