The season  2026 of Premier Padel  is about to begin with  22 tournaments  on the calendar. But beyond the circuit,  one date surpasses all others  in the players' minds: the  Padel World Cup 2026 Neither the date nor the location is yet known, but the pressure is already mounting, especially on the Spanish side, where the objective is clear:  reclaim the throne from Argentina .

Beaten in  2022  and  2024 Spain hasn't won the World Cup since  2021 On the other side, Argentina has settled into a  dynamics of domination This makes the 2026 edition crucial. A context perfectly understood by the Spanish national team coach.  Juanjo Gutiérrez who recently delivered a strong… and much-discussed statement.

 "A bad Galán might be worth a good Paquito." 

Guest of the show From Inside PadelJuanjo Gutiérrez was questioned about a sensitive hypothesis:  Would he call up Ale Galán even if he had a disappointing season? 
His direct response made a lasting impression:

 "A bad year for Galán might be better than a good year for Paquito Navarro. You have to look at the performance ranges these players operate in." 

A sentence that  does not devalue Paquito but which especially emphasizes  the performance ceiling gap  between certain elite players. And in the coach's mind,  Alejandro Galán  clearly belongs to this separate category.

 Galán, a game-changer even when not at his peak. 

This stance didn't come out of nowhere. Galán has demonstrated in recent seasons that he remains  one of the most complete players in the world , whatever the circumstances.

En  2025 statistics from  Padel Intelligence  they had even placed him  leading ten different categories , evidence of an overall influence on the game: offensive volume, regularity, physical impact, tactical reading.

Another telling statistic: during his  last official match of 2025 Galán had signed  48 winning moves  face  Agustín Tapia  et  Arturo Coello A figure that illustrates a simple reality:  Even without being at 100%, Galán remains above the world standard .

Barring a major injury, it is therefore difficult to imagine a World Cup without him.

 Spain – Argentina: a rivalry at its peak 

If everything goes as expected,  a new Spain-Argentina duel  seems inevitable. The Argentinians arrive in  two world champions driven by a dominant generation and maximum confidence.

For its part, Spain must  rebuilding a winning project , by combining:

  •  actual state of fitness 
  •  experience of major events 
  •  complementarity of pairs 
  • et  ability to respond under pressure 

In this context, Juanjo Gutiérrez's departure acts as a  strong signal  : at the World Cup,  The absolute level takes precedence over the point form. Performance peaks are not all created equal… and some players remain decisive even in their “quieter” seasons.

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !

On the same subject

Tags