The Barcelona playmaker competes for the starting lineup in the match between Spain and Saudi Arabia in the World Cup
As the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded, one of the biggest surprises came when Spain tied with Cape Verde.
Despite boasting star players like Pedri, Ferran Torres, Gavi, Rodri and others, Red Failed to get the three points.
Next up for Luis de la Fuente & co. It is a difficult match against Saudi Arabia, as the coach can do that He decided to reintroduce Lamine Yamal to the starting lineupAfter the young Barcelona star fully recovered from his injury.
Dani Olmo is also in contention
Now, according to journalist Alfredo Martinez, another Barcelona star, Dani Olmo, is also making a strong case for a start in Spain’s second Group H match against Saudi Arabia.
The 28-year-old attacking midfielder was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up against Cape Verde by De La Fuente.
Instead, Red The coach chose to play with the quartet of Ferran Torres, Pedri, Gavi and Mikel Oyarzabal in the final third.
In a very strange decisionDe La Fuente hampered Olmo’s progress until the last ten minutes of the match, despite Spain’s need for a player like him who can open up the opponent’s deep defensive block.
Having come on in the 81st minute for Ferran, the former RB Leipzig playmaker put in a solid display, communicating well with those around him on the pitch. It has now put him in contention to start against Saudi Arabia.
Proven commodity
Not long ago, Olmo was the star of the show for Spain when they won Euro 2024. The 28-year-old attacking midfielder was among the tournament’s six Golden Boot winners after scoring three goals.
The fact that he can play as a number 10, on the left flank, or even as a false player, makes him a very useful player. Furthermore, in the last season, Olmo has also shown that he can be used in a deeper role in midfield.
With Saudi Arabia also likely to line up strongly, the presence of a player of his ilk could make the difference for Spain as they bid for their first win at the 2026 World Cup.
