Spain coach Luis de la Fuente will be unable to call on Barcelona forward Fermín López for the upcoming World Cup after the player suffered a metatarsal injury over the weekend.

It is a major setback for European champions Spain, with López — who enjoyed an impressive season at Barcelona, helping them to a LaLiga title — now ruled out of the tournament in North America.

The Huelva-born midfielder was forced off at half-time in Sunday’s match against Real Betis after picking up a knock to his foot.

Barcelona have confirmed that Fermín López has suffered a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, ruling him out of the World Cup.

The club released an official medical report on Monday stating that the midfielder will require surgery, with an expected recovery period of six to eight weeks, effectively ending his chances of featuring in the tournament.

The injury setback comes as a major blow for Spain coach Luis de la Fuente ahead of his final squad announcement. The Spain boss is due to confirm his 26-man World Cup list next Monday, May 25.

López was forced off at half-time in Sunday’s match against Real Betis after picking up a knock to his foot, and subsequent tests have confirmed the severity of the damage.

The El Campillo-born midfielder was a European champion and Olympic gold medallist with Spain in 2024, and had marked the upcoming World Cup as a key target in his career, aiming to complete an international treble.

However, his dream of appearing at football’s biggest tournament will now have to be put on hold until at least 2030.