PRAGUE (AP) — Newly appointed Czech Republic coach Santi Denia included three newcomers in his first squad to face Croatia, England and World Cup champion Spain in the Nations League.
The Spaniard was appointed on July 31 as the first foreign coach in the post after the team’s early exit from the World Cup.
Denia included 15 players from the squad that went to the World Cup, where the Czechs lost to South Korea and Mexico and drew with South Africa. The Czechs finished on the bottom of Group A with one point.
Midfielders Lukáš Ambros of Anderlecht, Roman Macek of Sparta Prague and Matěj Radosta of Teplice are the three newcomers.
Only three forwards are on the team after Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick announced his retirement from international soccer, just hours after the World Cup’s elimination.
Injured West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček is not available but forwards Pavel Šulc of Lyon and Adam Hložek of Hoffenheim are on the team as well goalkeepers Lukáš Horníček of Newcastle and Antonín Kinský of Tottenham.
The Czechs open the competition by hosting Croatia on Sept. 26 and England three days later in Prague. An Oct 3 game against Spain in Oviedo and against England at Webley Stadium on Oct 6 will follow.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
FILE - Spain's coach Santi Denia walks prior to a quarter final soccer match between Spain and England at the European U-21 Championship at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium, in Trnava, Slovakia, Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, file)
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente announced his Nations League squad from Ceuta on Friday in a show of support for the Spanish city in northern Africa that has become the center of a migration crisis.
For his first squad announcement since Spain won the World Cup, De la Fuente revealed his list in a video featuring him in Ceuta accompanied by residents of the Spanish exclave. In late July, over 70,000 people pushed across the border from Morocco, with more than 100 dying in the chaos. Most quickly returned, but a few thousand remain in the city of just over 80,000.
The mass border rush has become the biggest political talking point in Spain since.
De la Fuente did not directly mention the border crossing or its impact, but he did say: “This is Ceuta, this is Spain.” It echoed the rise in sentiment in Spain that Ceuta — a territory that until the mass crossing was mostly an afterthought for most mainland Spaniards — needs to be supported.
Ceuta is one of two Spanish territories on the north African coast along with Melilla. Ceuta has been in Spanish possession since 1580. Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers all live there in relative harmony behind a border fence that many migrants from across Africa attempt to cross or swim around for a better life in Europe.
The far-right and conservative opposition parties are calling the migration surge an “invasion” and are hoping they can leverage it in national elections next year and oust the left-wing, pro-legal migration government.
It has also led many in Spain to question the government’s policy of moving closer to Rabat in recent years, all with the backdrop of the two countries preparing to host the 2030 World Cup along with Portugal.
Local authorities in Ceuta have visited Brussels to drum up European political support and demand more border security.
The debate had spilled into sports before De la Fuente’s video when earlier this week a business group asked Real Madrid and Elche to have their players wear T-shirts with a message of support for Ceuta that read “We are all from Ceuta” before their La Liga match.
Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté covered up part of the message by rolling the shirts up to their chests. The decision by the three Madrid players earned them both scorn and support in the media and social media.
Mbappé said that by rolling up the shirt he wanted to show “full solidarity and with all the victims” while also supporting “migrants who have lost their lives and those facing harsh conditions.”
Spain opens the Nations League against England at Wembley Stadium on Sept. 26, when its players will wear two stars on their shirts for the first time after winning a second world title.
After visiting London, Spain will host Croatia on Sept. 29 and the Czech Republic on Oct. 3, before visiting Croatia on Oct. 6.
Del la Fuente kept his World Cup squad mostly intact.
Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martínez replaced Barcelona’s Joan García, who is out with a minor knee issue. Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen is in for Marcos Llorente, who retired from international soccer. Fermín López replaced fellow Barcelona midfielder Gavi, while Espanyol striker Roberto Fernández got his first call-up, replacing Borja Iglesias.
Spain squad:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Josep Martínez (Inter Milan)
Defenders: Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Alejandro Grimaldo (Atletico Madrid), Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid), Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham).
Midfielders: Rodri Hernández (Barcelona), Pedri González (Barcelona), Fermín López (Barcelona), Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Álex Baena (Atletico Madrid).
Forwards: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain), Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Víctor Muñoz (Liverpool), Roberto Fernández (Espanyol).
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
FILE - Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente arrives at the stadium before the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, file)
