Seasoned Spanish goalie David De Gea snubbed for World Cup

With the World Cup looming, Spain did not call up goalkeeper David De Gea (Manchester United) to its initial 55-man tournament team, a move that sheds light on La Roja's tournament approach. The World Cup starts Nov. 20 in Qatar.

De Gea is a huge name in international and club competition, but he has not suited up for the Spanish national team since October 2020. Manager Luis Enrique’s decision to keep the veteran goalkeeper off Spain’s roster shows his preference for young and potentially more athletic goalies than the 31-year old veteran.

Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao) is Spain’s provisional starting goalie for 2022. Behind him are David Raya (Brentford) and Robert Sanchez (Brighton), who are expected to be called up as the backup goalkeepers. 

The De Gea move marks a switch in roster-building strategy for the Spanish national team.

Despite being heavy underdogs heading into the 2020 Euro, which was played in summer 2021 because of COVID-19, Spain found success by playing a group of young players. The team fought its way to the semifinals before losing to Italy in the final on penalty kicks. 

Spain is picking up where it left off after the 2020 Euro. Many of the players who competed in the tournament have accumulated more professional experience since the summer of 2021.

Sidelining De Gea is a testament to Spain’s focus on rebuilding its national team by banking on emerging stars who could become the faces of the national team.

La Roja seems confident in its young team, which plays its first World Cup game against Costa Rica on Nov. 23.