The national team has commenced its training camp at Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas to gear up for the World Cup in Uzbekistan. With 51 days remaining until their opening match on September 15 against Kazakhstan, coach Fede Vidal has all 15 selected players at his disposal. Spain is placed in Group D along with Kazakhstan, New Zealand, and Libya.
A major highlight is the return of Sergio Lozano. The Barça captain, absent from the team since March 1, 2023, makes his comeback after 512 days. At 35, Lozano admitted to feeling “nervous” and having trouble sleeping before rejoining the national team. Despite his 109 games and 89 goals for Spain, Lozano, nicknamed ‘The Buffalo,’ feels like a debutant: “At 35, I see things differently, especially after concerns a year ago that I might never play again. I’m thrilled, as I was unsure about my knee, but now I see this as an exciting challenge.”
Lozano return
Lozano has overcome his fourth major right knee injury and has played only 12 games since his return on February 17. He noted, “I ended the season with a hamstring injury but recovered well and have been training without issues.” Lozano also mentioned that he’s physically fit and psychologically mature, and views the tournament in Uzbekistan cautiously: “We shouldn’t pressure ourselves. We’re not favorites, and that hasn’t helped us in recent tournaments. We aim to be contenders without the pressure to win at all costs.”
Spain, fourth in the 2021 World Cup in Lithuania, hasn’t reached a World Cup final since 2012 and hasn’t won the title in 20 years. Their last championship was in 2004 under coach Javier Lozano, who also led them to victory in 2000. The focus is on Uzbekistan to end this two-decade drought. In the initial preparation phase, the team will train until August 1, resume on the 5th, and play seven friendly matches, six against World Cup teams, with three at home in Ferrol and Las Rozas.
Upcoming matches
On August 10, the team will travel to Morocco for a double friendly against the African champions in Rabat (August 12 and 14). They will then play Hungary in Ferrol (August 22) and participate in a triangular match against France and Costa Rica at the City of Football (August 26-28). Finally, the team will travel to Tajikistan for two matches in Dushanbe before heading to their camp in Uzbekistan (Andijan). They will play Tajikistan on September 5 and the Netherlands on September 7, with Miguel Andrés on the bench. The RFEF confirmed that Teledeporte will broadcast all national team matches live. Spain’s first match in the tournament will be against Kazakhstan on Sunday, September 15, at 2:30 p.m., followed by New Zealand on Wednesday, September 18, at 5:00 p.m., and Libya on Saturday, September 21, at 2:30 p.m.