Why Sergio Ramos is missing the 2026 World Cup for Spain
Spain will mount their 2026 World Cup campaign in North America without their most capped player in history, as legendary defender Sergio Ramos is no longer part of the international setup. Sergio Ramos will not be part of Spain’s squad for the 2026 World Cup campaign in North America, as the legendary defender has already retired from international duty at the beginning of 2023. Unlike his long-time compatriots Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets—who both retired after capturing the MLS Cup with Inter Miami—Ramos spent the 2025–26 club season continuing to defy father time on the pitch with Mexico’s Monterrey. Yet, despite his ongoing club availability, his absence from the Spanish national team has long been set in stone. Ramos’s omission from the 2026 tournament roster comes as no surprise to the Spanish public. The legendary center-back officially announced his retirement from international football on February 23, 2023, after 18 years since his debut. After Ramos’ departure, De la Fuente has successfully reconstructed Spain‘s defense around a new generation of center-backs. For the 2026 World Cup in North America, the manager has placed his full trust in Aymeric Laporte and Marc Pubill, Eric Garcia and Pau Cubarsí. Ver esta publicación en Instagram Una publicación compartida de Sergio Ramos (@sergioramos) Ramos’ impressive tenure with the National Team Ramos made his senior international debut under Luis Aragonés in March 2005 at just 18 years old, becoming the youngest Spanish debutant in 55 years at the time. Over an astonishing 180 senior caps—a historic record that makes him the most capped player in the history of the Spanish national team—Ramos proved to be an unprecedented weapon. His defensive ferocity was matched by an incredible aerial threat, racking up 23 international goals, a tally that places him among Spain’s top ten goalscorers of all time despite playing in the backline. Ramos was an important piece during Spain’s golden era of global dominance, starting every single game as La Roja captured UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and UEFA Euro 2012.
