Spanish defender Sergio Ramos expressed his frustration over being excluded from his country's national team for the World Cup after returning to full fitness following a calf injury that restricted his playtime with Paris Saint-Germain last season. Luis Enrique, the coach of Spain, announced the squad for the tournament, which consists of 26 players and notably lacks experienced players like Ramos, midfielder Thiago Alcântara, defender Marcos Alonso, and goalkeeper David De Gea.
Ramos, 36 years old and who joined Paris Saint-Germain last year after 16 trophy-filled years with Real Madrid, penned an emotional letter to fans after missing the chance to play in a fifth World Cup. He wrote on Instagram: "I dedicated myself, my body, and my soul to recover and return to my normal level... Fortunately, I can say that I have regained my form this season and I am enjoying football."
He stated, "The World Cup? It was certainly one of my great dreams that I wanted to achieve. It would have been my fifth participation, but unfortunately, I will watch the tournament from home."
Ramos won the World Cup in 2010 with Spain. He continued regarding his absence from the World Cup: "The situation is harsh, but the sun will still rise in the morning. I will not change anything about myself, my mindset, my passion, my commitment, my effort, or my dedication to work."
Spain will play a friendly against Jordan on Thursday before starting their World Cup journey with a match against Costa Rica. They will also face Germany and Japan in Group E.