2026 World Cup: What a headache for Spain, with only eight places for a generation of superstars? Padel Magazine

Just over two months before the FIP World Cup 2026 (Padel World Championships), the Spanish men's team heads to Doha with a problem that many nations would love to have: too many players capable of claiming a place among the eight selected .

Arturo Coello, Alejandro Galán, Juan Lebrón, Mike Yanguas, Paquito Navarro, Coki Nieto, Jon Sanz, Fran Guerrero, Momo González, Javi Leal, Edu Alonso, Javi Garrido… The list is long and the coach Juanjo Gutiérrez will inevitably have to leave several top-level players at home.

The World Cup, now renamed FIP World Cup will argue about November 2-7, 2026 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha with 16 men's and 16 women's teams. The competition will also offer a record prize money of 1,2 million euros , divided equally between men and women. And it goes without saying that, in this case, the question of whether some people want to come or not doesn't even arise…

Coello and Galán: the two certainties

Barring unforeseen circumstances, two names seem impossible to rule out: Arturo Coello and Alejandro Galán .

The world rankings alone are enough to measure their lead. In the FIP rankings published on August 10, Coello shares first place in the world with Agustín Tapia. 21 123 points , while Galán is third, tied with Federico Chingotto, with 17 906 points .

The two Spaniards are above all the two major weapons that Juanjo Gutiérrez has at his disposal against Argentina.

And unlike the professional circuit, where they play with Argentinian partners, the national team allows the captain to completely reshuffle the deck. At the 2024 World Championship, Coello played with Coki Nieto in the final, while Galán was reunited with Juan Lebrón.

Lebrón is also difficult to imagine being absent.

Behind them, Juan Lebrón He also seems to have a significant margin. The former world number 1 currently occupies the 5th place in the world ranking and remains the third-ranked Spaniard in the world hierarchy.

His experience in major competitions and especially his versatility can be a significant asset in a team competition.

The World Cup, in fact, operates according to a very different logic from Premier PadelIt's not simply a matter of selecting the eight highest-ranked Spaniards: it's about building three pairs capable of winning a match , anticipate opposing compositions and have several possible combinations available.

This is precisely where the puzzle begins.

Yanguas, Paquito and Coki currently occupy the following positions

In the August 10th standings, the Spanish hierarchy behind the top three is particularly interesting:

Arturo Coello: World No. 1
Alejandro Galán: No. 3
Juan Lebrón: No. 5
Mike Yanguas: No. 8
Paquito Navarro: No. 9
Coki Nieto: No. 10

Based solely on the logic of the ranking, Yanguas, Paquito and Coki therefore have a head start. .

But behind them, the competition is considerable.

In mid-August, Jon Sanz appeared around 11th in the world rankings, Fran Guerrero around 12th, ahead of Momo González, Javi Leal, Edu Alonso and Javi Garrido.

In other words, Spain has an exceptional density of players in the world's Top 20.

Can Jon Sanz and Fran Guerrero shake up the hierarchy?

This is probably where the selection becomes particularly interesting.

Jon sanz He already knows the national team very well. He was one of the eight players called up for the 2024 World Cup and had even played alongside several teammates during the competition. The Spanish Federation had then selected Coello, Galán, Lebrón, Navarro, Álex Ruiz, Coki Nieto, Yanguas and Sanz.

Fran Guerrero On the other hand, he represents one of the candidates who could change the balance of the 2026 list. His progress in the world hierarchy now puts him directly in contact with players who have been established for several seasons in the Spanish group.

The choice will therefore likely not be based solely on individual rankings. Juanjo Gutiérrez will also have to determine which profiles best complement Coello, Galán, or Lebrón.

And behind them? Momo, Leal, Alonso, Garrido…

This is what makes the Spanish situation almost unique.

Even players ranked in the world's Top 20 cannot be absolutely certain of participating in the World Cup.

Momo González already has international experience and was part of the Spanish team at the 2022 World Cup, before disappearing from the list in 2024.

Javi Garrido is in a comparable situation: present in 2022, it was replaced two years later.

To them are now added Javi leal et Eduardo Alonso , two players who have established themselves in the upper part of the world rankings and who can still change the hierarchy before the selection is announced.

Therefore, form in the coming weeks could matter a great deal.

Why the third pick can decide a World Cup

The memory of Doha 2024 is enough to understand the importance of the coach's choices.

Spain had made a perfect start to the final against Argentina thanks to Arturo Coello and Coki Nieto , winners 6/1 6/2 from Franco Stupaczuk and Martín Di Nenno.

Argentina then equalized: Agustín Tapia and Federico Chingotto had beaten Juan Lebrón and Alejandro Galán 7/6 3/6 6/2.

Everything had therefore come down to the third match.

And despite their status as favorites on paper, Paquito Navarro and Mike Yanguas had finally succumbed to the young Leo Augsburger and Tino Libaak after a tremendous battle: 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 for the Argentinians. Argentina thus won the final 2-1 and retained their world title.

Two years later, this defeat can inevitably fuel Spanish thinking.

Because having the two best Spanish players isn't necessarily enough. In a potential final (yes, we're saying it for the sake of argument) against Argentina, The third pair could be the one that wins or loses the world title. .

Argentina forces Spain to think in terms of pairs

This may be the real issue at stake in the selection process.

Coello and Galán are individually among the best players in the world. But Argentina also possesses considerable depth with Tapia, Chingotto, Stupaczuk, Augsburger, Di Nenno and several other options.

In 2024, Argentina's gamble was spectacular: entrusting the third point to Augsburg and Libaak , then aged only 20 and 19. The choice had paid off as they won the decisive match in the third set tie-break.

For Juanjo Gutiérrez, the question is therefore not simply: Who are the eight best Spaniards?

It could instead be: What are the three best Spanish pairs to beat Argentina?

And the answer is not necessarily the same.

Eight places… and many more than eight candidates

Currently, a framework seems to be emerging around Coello, Galán and Lebrón , with Yanguas, Paquito and Coki particularly well placed in view of their ranking and experience.

But behind them, the battle remains very open between Jon Sanz, Fran Guerrero, Momo González, Javi Leal, Edu Alonso and Javi Garrido .

And there are still more than two months to go before Doha.

Major results, a partnership that works particularly well, an injury or simply a tactical choice can still change the hierarchy.

Spain clearly has no shortage of talent.

His real challenge will be choosing the eight right ones.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.