Straight from a 13-0 rout! Spain call up the boy who scored five yesterday
Luis de la Fuente has dipped into the under 21 pool and pulled out the hottest name in Spanish football right now. The call up is official, and the timing is pure Hollywood.
Details: The Spanish Football Federation confirmed that Ferran Torres has left the camp with persistent discomfort in his left ankle and returns to PSG to prioritise his recovery. His replacement is Real Madrid's 21 year old striker Carlos Espí, called up from the under 21 squad for the first time in his career. Torres, who scored the winning goal in the 2026 World Cup final, had seven goals in six games for PSG this season and was expected to start Saturday's Nations League game against the Czech Republic in Oviedo, with a trip to Croatia in Split on October 6 to follow.
The promotion could hardly be more deserved. Just 24 hours earlier, Espí scored five goals in Spain U21's 13:0 destruction of San Marino, a performance that broke the internet and made him the first player ever to receive a senior call up the day after a repóker. The World champions, however, are paying a growing price for their golden autumn: Torres is the third player to leave the squad this window, following Nico Williams and Alejandro Grimaldo. Still, La Roja look irresistible, sitting on six points after the 3:2 statement at Wembley against England and a 4:1 rout of Croatia in Seville. For Espí, this is the continuation of a fairytale: signed from Levante for €25 million in July at José Mourinho's personal request, he scored the winning goal on his Real Madrid debut against Espanyol and was named La Liga's U23 Player of the Season last year after saving Levante from relegation. Now, in a group where every minute matters, he gets to learn from the best and fight for his first cap against the Czechs in Asturias, the region where his career began at Real Oviedo... well, almost began, as Valencia once scouted him and passed.
It's worth noting that Espí stands nearly 1.94 meters tall and signed for Real Madrid until June 2031. Despite his frame, he reaches speeds of around 32 km/h, making him far more than a classic target man, exactly the profile de la Fuente trusts when Spain needs a different plan B.
Reminder: Is he finished? Pedri ignored by De la Fuente again
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
