After a heated clash with a Barcelona player during the recent Copa del Rey El Clásico, a Real Madrid star has now been dropped from the Spanish national team. The Barcelona youngster reportedly sent a firm message to Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, making it clear that he would pull out of the upcoming national team camp if the Real Madrid player was included in the squad.

The sting of Real Madrid’s defeat to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final seems set to intensify for one of the club’s key players. On Saturday evening, Real Madrid fell short of claiming the Copa del Rey title after a 3–2 loss to arch-rivals Barcelona at La Cartuja Stadium.

While the defeat itself was difficult for the Madrid side, it appears to have further consequences off the pitch, particularly for midfielder Dani Ceballos.

According to a report published by the Spanish outlet El Nacional, Dani Ceballos’ hopes of returning to the Spanish national team have taken a significant blow following a confrontation with Barcelona’s young sensation, Lamine Yamal, during the heated Copa del Rey final. The tension between the two players reportedly escalated on the pitch and did not go unnoticed by the national team management.

The report highlights that Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente values maintaining a peaceful and unified environment within the squad and tends to avoid including players who might disrupt that balance. This is not the first time Ceballos has found himself at odds with Barcelona players — a previous altercation with Pablo Gavi had already put him in a difficult position regarding national team selection.

This recent incident seems to have only worsened his chances. El Nacional claims that Lamine Yamal privately expressed his dissatisfaction over the incident and even went as far as threatening to withdraw from the national team’s upcoming camp if Ceballos was called up.

Faced with the prospect of losing one of Spain’s brightest young talents, de la Fuente reportedly acted decisively, opting to exclude Ceballos from future selections in order to preserve the team’s cohesion and prioritize the well-being of the promising winger.

Adding to Ceballos’ misfortunes, the midfielder, who had just returned from an injury, was handed a starting role in the final but could not see out the match. He was forced off during the second half due to lingering pain in his left ankle.

This combination of an on-field defeat, personal injury, and now national team exclusion marks a difficult period for the Real Madrid player, whose future with La Roja appears increasingly uncertain in light of recent events.