What happened: Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has confirmed his starting lineup for the Round of 32 meeting with Ralf Rangnick's Austria, with four Barcelona players in the XI. Lamine Yamal, back from a hamstring injury, starts in attack alongside midfielders Pedri and Dani Olmo, while Pau Cubarsí continues in defense. Eric Garcia and Joan Garcia are named among the substitutes.
Why it matters: The selection keeps Cubarsí on course to play every minute of the tournament so far and reaffirms De la Fuente's trust in his Barcelona contingent despite reported friction with Pedri and Olmo. Gavi, who started the opener against Cape Verde, has not featured since, and Ferran Torres again begins on the bench, underlining how competitive Spain's attacking depth has become at this knockout stage.
By the numbers: Spain enter the knockout round at 2-1 across recent matches, scoring 1.7 per game and yet to concede, with a 4-0 result over Saudi Arabia their biggest margin. Austria sit at 1-2 with a two-match losing streak, their standout result a 3-1 win over Jordan.
What to watch: Attention turns to kickoff in the United States, where De la Fuente's Barcelona-heavy XI takes the field against Austria with a Round of 16 place on the line.