Jenni Hermoso has been left out of Spain’s squad for next month’s European Championships with coach Montse Tomé making 12 changes to the roster which won the World Cup less than two years ago.
Spain’s all-time top scorer Hermoso is the big absentee, along with Real Madrid goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez, while Laia Codina and Teresa Abelleira both miss out through injury.
Hermoso, 35, played a key role as Spain were crowned world champions in Australia in 2023.
The midfielder, who currently plays for Mexican side Tigres, was also the victim of former Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales’ unsolicited kiss after that final against England in Sydney.
She has been in and out of the Spain squad since, making her last appearance in October 2024, and Tomé says the competition for places is the reason she has missed out.
“I understand Jenni is an important player,” Tomé said in a news conference when asked about Hermoso’s absence.
“I spoke with her at the beginning of the year about her situation and we have done the same work with her as with everyone else.
“We have assessed her performances for Tigres and spoken with her coach, but in her position, we have Patri [Guijarro], Aitana [Bonmatí], Alexia [Putellas], Maite [Zubieta], Vicky [López] and even Mariona [Caldentey] or [Claudia] Pina can come in there.
“It’s hard to pick 23 players, but we do the job professionally and at the end of the day that is what we have chosen.”
Without Hermoso, the squad has a strong nucleus from Barcelona, with 10 players, including Ballon d’Or winners Bonmatí and Putellas, included among those selected for the finals.
La Roja have never previously won the Euros, but they go into the tournaments as favourites as the No.2 ranked team in the world, only behind the United States.
“I feel team has capacity to go all the way,” Tomé, who replaced Jorge Vilda as coach after the World Cup, said of Spain’s chances. “That’s the objective, to compete to win, but football is what it is, with the best 16 teams in Europe all there.
“We will work on short-term objectives: training well from the start and from there competing against Japan in our final friendly and then focus on getting through the group.
“You can’t think about being in a final before the group stages. We face three sides in Belgium, Italy and Portugal who can generate problems. We’re going to work hard to go as far as possible.”
Spain kick off their campaign against Portugal on July 3. They then face Belgium on July 7 and close Group B against Italy on July 11.
Spain squad:
Goalkeepers: Cata Coll, Adriana Nanclares, Esther Sullastres
Defenders: Ona Batlle, Jana Fernández, Irene Paredes, Laia Aleixandri, María Méndez, Leila Ouahabi, Olga Carmona
Midfielders: Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Maite Zubieta, Vicky López
Forwards: Athenea del Castillo, Mariona Caldentey, Clàudia Pina, Salma Paralluelo, Lucía García, Esther González, Alba Redondo, Cristina Martín-Prieto
