Thiago has not been called up by Spain coach Luis Enrique since a minimal role at the European Championships, and the Liverpool midfielder’s international career is probably over.
It’s a strange situation from an outside perspective, with Thiago being one of the best midfielders in the world but unable to gain recognition with Spain.
The 31-year-old’s injuries certainly don’t help, but when fit, it seems like a no-brainer to include him as part of a midfield group that includes teenagers Gavi and Pedri and 34-year-old Sergio Busquets.
However, that is clearly not the opinion of the Spain coach, as Thiago has not been called up in Enrique’s squad since the European Championship in the summer of 2021.
Thiago only played 64 minutes in the tournament and has since sat out six consecutive international breaks.
Spain suffered a 2-1 loss to Switzerland on Saturday night as a team that included a number of players no longer regulars at their clubs fell to goals from Manuel Akanji and Breel Embolo.
A loss raised questions about Enrique’s approach, but as The Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan explained, he is unlikely to change his stance on players left out like Thiago.
Corrigan explains that Enrique has “decided [certain players] they don’t fit what he wants”, noting specifically that “no matter how much Thiago believes for Liverpool”, he is unlikely to be called up.
That, it is claimed, is because No. 6 doesn’t “fit the style of any action that [Enrique] demands, with an emphasis on covering a lot of ground and playing at top speed.”
Whether that is true is questionable, given that Thiago thrives in Jurgen Klopp’s high-tempo system, but it can’t be seen as anything but a positive for Liverpool.
James Milner has extended his career to age-defying wingers after retiring from the England service aged 30, and while their bodies are distinctly different, the hope will be that Thiago can benefit from something similar.
It may not be his own decision to ‘retire’, but one imposed by the current Spain coach, but it appears that Thiago will not be called up as long as Enrique remains in the job.
In the short term, that means Thiago will miss the mid-season World Cup and instead spend time off with his family before traveling to Dubai for warm-weather training and friendlies with the Reds.
