Spain — 2026 World Cup Squad

Start with the teenager and the rest of the picture rearranges itself around him. Lamine Yamal is barely old enough to be the headline act, yet here he is, hugging the right touchline before cutting inside to bend a ball into the channel nobody else has spotted. Spain were European champions before he became the central reason to fear them; now the two facts feel like one. Group H, with Cape Verde for company, will spend most of its time chasing a ball it cannot win back.

What makes Yamal dangerous is the calm behind him. Pedri slips through pressure as if it were a rumour, and Rodri sits in front of the back four turning chaos into rhythm. In front of Pau Cubarsi, all unhurried reads and clean exits, Fabian Ruiz threads the left-sided seams that let everyone else breathe. David Raya, sweeping high and starting attacks with his feet, completes a side built to keep the ball and the opponent equally exhausted.

The doubt, as ever, is the finish. Spain create a tournament's worth of chances. Whether they bury enough of them is the only question worth asking.