The U18 national team under coach Pablo Amoca has summoned rising talent Rodrigo Mendoza from Elche CF. Spain’s under-18 squad will face Portugal, Turkey, and Romania in the Turkey International Tournament, set to be staged in Istanbul next week.
The talented Franco-verde midfielder has already featured with the national team last summer. During the final stage of the European Under-17 Championship held in Israel, Spain was edged out by Portugal in the quarterfinals. At the request of head coach Francisco, Mendoza joined pre-season training with the first team, even though he remains young enough to play for the reserve side in the third tier of Spanish football. This new call signals Mendoza as a footballer with significant potential and places him within the federation’s longer term plans. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) oversees these selections.
The list of called players includes:
Bilbao Athletic Club: Peio Canales Urtasun and Aingeru Olabarrieta Capelo
Athletic Madrid: Javier Bonar Franco and Julio Diaz del Romo
Real Betis Football: Daniel Pérez Guerrero and Pablo Busto González
FC Barcelona: Daniel Rodriguez Crespo, Gerard Hernández Romero and Antonio Gómez del Castillo
RC Sports of La Coruña: David Mella Boullon
Sport Alavés: Xanet Olaiz Ibarzabal
Elche CF: Rodrigo Mendoza Martinez Moya
CF Damm: Alvaro Cortes Moyado
Real Madrid FC: Antonio David Moreno Moreno, Pol Fortuny Aubareda, Álvaro Ginés Hernández Sánchez, Ferran Quetglas Lorente and Jacobo Ramón Naveros
RCD Mallorca: Carles Sogorb Oliver
Real Sociedad: Arkaitz Mariezkurrena Etxezarreta
Real Valladolid CF: Ivan Garriel Munoz
Valencia CF: Vicente Abril Sanz and Hugo de Mateo Moreno
Rodrigo Mendoza, who will compete with Ilicitano in the derby against Hercules B this weekend, is expected to meet the Spain U18 team next Sunday at the RFEF complex in Las Rozas before traveling to Istanbul for the tournament.
Spain will play its first match on Thursday at 12:30 at the Vakifkoy Facilities Stadium against Portugal, with the encounter understood as a potential European Under-17s revenge. On Saturday, the hosts Turkey will be the opponent at Karacabey Stadium, while the final fixture is scheduled for Monday at 12:30 versus Romania at the Minaret Sergeant Stadium. These matches are part of a broader program designed to expose young talents to high-caliber competition and to gauge their readiness for higher levels of professional football.
The Elche youth team welcomed the latest call with great joy. Mendoza signed a contract extension with the club through 2025, reinforcing the belief at the Franjiverde academy that the forward could soon earn a place with the first team and play a prominent part in the club’s future. The academy’s leadership expressed confidence in his continued development and contribution to both club and country, highlighting his commitment, pace, and technical ability as key elements in his rising trajectory. [RFEF] [Elche CF]