Bryan Zaragoza is the last player to join
Late Friday after 12:30 a.m., the head coach spoke about the preliminary list for the tour. He noted that the list does not lock out players who aren’t on it yet. Shortlisting 300 players would be easy, he said, but many strong talents will still be left out. The message was clear: keep grinding to earn a spot on the final group.
That night, Granada winger Bryan Zaragoza—who had just scored three goals earlier—seemed to embody that message. The Haro native, who confirmed the absence of Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino, watched a match featuring a young striker and then stepped onto the field. He showed street-smart courage against a Barcelona side, playing with quick feet and daring runs.
He struck in the 15th second, then beat Koundé on a run and fired from outside the box past Ter Stegen. In the second half, Ronald Araujo teased him with a joke about his speed. Zaragoza kept pressing, and the moment nearly produced a third goal before the frame of the goal denied him. At the final whistle, he earned the man of the match honor and spoke into the mic, saying that football is played for moments like this and that those moments begin with street lessons learned early.
Which forwards played for Spain?
The 1.64-meter winger, who started his football journey with Tiro Pichón and CD Conejito in Malaga, had stints with Valladolid and Betis before joining Granada’s youth system. Zaragoza now sits among the 18 forwards called up by the head coach since taking over the senior team, representing a broad range of profiles for the attack.
Top forwards named include Álvaro Morata, Marco Asensio, Joselu, Rodrigo Moreno, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Yeremy Pino, Ansu Fati, Sergio Canales, Bryan Gil, Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Iago Aspas, Gerard Moreno, Abel Ruiz, Lamine Yamal, Borja Iglesias, and Bryan Zaragoza. The squad favors vertical play and incisive runs, offering the manager multiple attacking shapes to deploy, whether that means a 4-4-2, a 4-3-3, or a shift to a 4-2-3-1 if the situation calls for it.
Mikel Merino: bravery in speech and a push forward
In reference to the team’s forward line, players like Morata, Joselu, Gerard Moreno, and Borja Iglesias provide a mix of target play and clinical finishing. Dynamic options such as Iago Aspas and Mikel Oyarzabal add creativity and scoring instinct, while Rodrigo Moreno, Dani Olmo, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, and Marco Asensio supply speed and directness from wider positions. The squad also includes wingers who stretch defenses with pace and dribbling, including Nico Williams, Bryan Gil, Lamine Yamal, and Bryan Zaragoza, giving the coach a wide palette of attacking configurations.
Up to 18 goals and Joselu tops the scoring chart
The forward line has shown plenty of life, with Joselu leading in goals across several matches under the current coach. Among the 18 goals tallied, Joselu contributes four, Morata three, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres two each, while several players have added one goal apiece through the campaign.
The coach has built a flexible squad, not tied to a single system or a fixed frontline. He values versatility and looks for momentum in players, a trend visible in Zaragoza as he enters a phase where he could become a key weapon for overcoming Scotland at La Cartuja on Thursday at 21:00.