Midfielder was omitted from Spain’s squad for the March friendlies but head coach Luis de la Fuente says he remains highly valued
The World Cup is a dream for every player, especially one as talented as Gavi, but what are the midfielder’s prospects of travelling to North America with Spain this summer?
The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear in November 2023. He has made just one appearance for Spain since, a brief substitute outing in 2025, and recently returned to action for Barcelona after another serious injury earlier this season.
He was omitted from Spain’s squad for the March friendlies but head coach Luis de la Fuente said he remains highly valued.
“We have spoken with Gavi on multiple occasions and I congratulated him privately when he made his return,” he said. “He is a very special player for us. From a football perspective, but also for the dressing room.
“We can wait for positive things around him. We will see how he progresses but two months is a long time in football. We will assess the situation again then. Today is too soon to make a decision, but we would all love to have Gavi.”
Gavi had been considered one of Spain’s key players before his injury, even being described as the “27th player” in the squad during their successful Euro 2024 campaign, which ended with victory over England in the final.
However, Spain’s midfield options have since strengthened. Rodri, Pedri and Martin Zubimendi are expected to form the core of the squad, while Real Sociedad’s Carlos Soler and Gavi’s Barcelona teammate Fermin Lopez are other options in the middle of the park.
“[Gavi’s] injury back in 2023 was one of the toughest moments I’ve experienced since I took the job,” De la Fuente said. “I know it was for his team-mates as well. I lived through it with pain, as if a family member had suffered an accident. [It was] a big loss.”
The player is talented and no doubt still held in high regard, so it is still possible for him to make the final squad, but with competition for places so high and given his need to recover fully from his latest injury setback, it remains a long shot.
