How old will Lamine Yamal and Spain’s 2026 World Cup players be in 2030, and could they return?
Spain reached the 2026 World Cup final with a very young squad, one where Lamine Yamal and other stars will surely be chasing another final by the 2030 edition. Regardless of how Sunday’s final against Argentina ends, Spain are building their next cycle around a core that is remarkably young for a team competing at the very top of the sport, meaning the 2030 World Cup window looks wide open for most of this squad. Unlike other contenders whose stars are racing against the clock, Spain’s headline name points in the opposite direction. Lamine Yamal will be just 22 years old when the next edition kicks off, meaning the Barcelona forward, already a World Cup finalist before turning 19, could realistically feature in three or four more tournaments beyond this one. The same applies to much of the spine of this team. Pedri, Gavi and Pau Cubarsi will all still be in their mid-twenties by 2030, while captain Rodri and Mikel Merino should remain firmly within their prime years, giving Luis de la Fuente — or whoever succeeds him — a squad capable of chasing back-to-back finals. Not everyone in the squad shares that outlook. Veterans such as Aymeric Laporte, Marcos Llorente, Alex Grimaldo and Borja Iglesias will all be past 34 by the next tournament, leaving their participation far less certain than that of their younger teammates. Aymeric Laporte of Spain. (Getty Images) Spain team’s age in 2030 PositionPlayerBirthdate / AgeAge for the 2030 edition (from June 8)GoalkeeperUnai Simon06/11/1997 (29)33GoalkeeperDavid Raya09/15/1995 (30)33GoalkeeperJoan Garcia05/04/2001 (25)29DefenderMarc Cucurella07/22/1998 (27)30DefenderAlex Grimaldo09/20/1995 (30)33DefenderPau Cubarsi01/22/2007 (19)23DefenderAymeric Laporte05/27/1994 (32)36DefenderMarc Pubill03/25/2003 (23)27DefenderEric Garcia01/09/2001 (25)29DefenderPedro Porro09/13/1999 (26)29DefenderMarcos Llorente01/30/1995 (31)35MidfielderPedri11/25/2002 (23)26MidfielderFabian Ruiz04/03/1996 (30)34MidfielderMartin Zubimendi02/02/1999 (27)31MidfielderGavi08/05/2004 (21)24MidfielderRodri06/22/1996 (30)33MidfielderAlex Baena07/16/2001 (25)28MidfielderMikel Merino06/22/1996 (30)33ForwardLamine Yamal07/13/2007 (19)22ForwardVictor Muñoz07/13/2003 (23)26ForwardDani Olmo05/07/1998 (28)32ForwardYeremy Pino01/20/2002 (24)28ForwardNico Williams07/12/2002 (24)27ForwardFerran Torres02/29/2000 (26)30ForwardBorja Iglesias01/17/1993 (33)37ForwardMikel Oyarzabal04/09/1997 (29)33
