The Qatar World Cup he approaches at full speed and begins to check off boxes on his ‘checklist’. The first of them is the pre-list of 55 names that each Federation has had to send to FIFA, the first requirement to control which players can be on the final list.
This provisional list, which will not be published by decision of the selectors, must contain a maximum of 55 names. That is approximately the number of players that Luis Enrique and his coaching staff have on the radar for each of the calls for the Spanish team.
The next step will be to give the final list, which in the case of Spain will be on Friday, November 11, at 12:30 p.m. That list must contain between 23 and 26 players, at least three of whom will be goalkeepers, and it may only include players who were part of the provisional list of 55, except for serious injury or illness.
In that case, the national teams may replace the players included in the final list before 24 hours prior to the start of the first match, which in the case of Spain will be on November 23, against Costa Rica, and the substitutes will not have to must be included in the provisional list.
-
1
Wednesday, November 23: Spain – Costa Rica (5:00 p.m.)
-
2
Sunday, November 27: Spain – Germany (8:00 p.m.)
-
3
Thursday, December 1: Japan – Spain (20.00)
It is also expected that the FIFA publish on Monday, November 14, the 32 final lists of the participating teams.
From here until then, speculation begins about who will be chosen by Luis Enrique, who is not even sure if he will fill the 26 cards available for the World Cup or if he will manage with a smaller group of players.
There are a number of footballers who seem fixed, but lately injuries and fitness have opened up the range and options for surprises. At this point, ordinary men like Dani Olmo, Koke, Marcos Llorente, Gerard Moreno or his own Ansu Fati. The intrigue, in any case, has little time left.
