Pedri won't start against Croatia! Is this a major signal from De la Fuente?

For the second consecutive match, Pedri has not started for the Spanish national team; De la Fuente has chosen other players to start ahead of the Barcelona star, raising further doubts about the Spanish coach's reliance on him.

Once again, Luis de la Fuente has opted to keep Pedri on the bench, this time naming his starting eleven for Spain's UEFA Nations League encounter with Croatia without the midfielder. The confirmed lineup reads as follows: Unai Simón in goal, with Marc Pubill, Pau Cubarsí, Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella forming the defensive line. In midfield, Martín Zubimendi, Fabián Ruiz and Fermín López get the nod, while Lamine Yamal, Álex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal lead the attack.

• read more: Manchester City: former president David Bernstein sees club relegated

Pedri has spent five matches on the bench

What was once easy to dismiss as a one-off decision has now become a clear pattern. Pedri has found himself among the substitutes for five straight Spain fixtures, a stretch that began towards the tail end of the 2026 World Cup and has carried over into the fresh Nations League campaign.

The list of matches tells its own story: a place on the bench against Belgium, then the same against France, Argentina, England, and most recently Croatia.

There were moments when Pedri did eventually get onto the pitch. Against England at Wembley, he was summoned from the bench in the 70th minute and played his part as Spain completed a 3-2 comeback. In the World Cup final against Argentina, he once again watched the opening exchanges from the sidelines before being called upon in the 62nd minute.

What stands out just as much, however, is the results. Across the four matches in this five-game stretch that reached a conclusion, Spain emerged victorious every single time: a 2-1 win over Belgium, a 2-0 victory against France, a 1-0 triumph after extra time over Argentina, and that 3-2 comeback against England.

Hazem Mlhem |

Editorar, en

Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

Related teams and leagues

Barcelona

Spain

LaLiga Spain