RCD Mallorca’s relegation from LaLiga made for a gloomy end to the season at Son Moix, but the club’s influence is easy to spot at the 2026 World Cup. More than 15 players, coaches and staff with a Mallorca connection are involved in the tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Current and recent Mallorca players
Samu Costa (Portugal). The midfielder was one of the few bright spots in Mallorca’s difficult season, scoring seven goals and covering every blade of grass. His tearful farewell after the final game against Oviedo was one of the moments of the campaign. Roberto Martínez has included him in the Portugal squad, and he started against Chile.
Johan Mojica (Colombia). The left-back, whose time on the island appears to be coming to an end, is in Colombia’s squad. When Colombia meet Portugal in the group stage on 28 June, the game will double as a small Mallorca reunion.
Cyle Larin (Canada) was still officially a Mallorca player before his move to Southampton, and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Dennis Hadžikadunić also had a spell at the club.
Old favourites
Several former Mallorca players are now established internationals:
- Kang-in Lee, now at Paris Saint-Germain, is one of South Korea’s key players;
- Pervis Estupiñán, part of the 2019 promotion side, plays for Ecuador;
- Ante Budimir is at his second World Cup with Croatia;
- Cucho Hernández is in the Colombia squad.
A Mallorcan bench for Mexico
The connection extends to the dugout. Mexico’s head coach, Javier Aguirre, who coached Mallorca and has made the island his home, has brought with him several members of staff who worked at Son Moix, including Toni Amor, Pol Lorente and Xavi Calvo.
Where to watch on the island
Big screens in Playa de Palma’s beer halls will show the matches to large crowds, particularly when Germany play. Sports bars in Cala Ratjada and in Palma offer a quieter setting, and in villages such as Alaró, Santanyí, Artà and Campos the television above the bar of the local café is often the place where residents and visitors watch together.
A German-Spanish dream
After the bad-tempered Euro 2024 quarter-final, many on an island with large German and Spanish communities are hoping for a rematch. Under the tournament format, the two sides could not meet before the semi-finals if both win their groups. For Mallorca, a game with divided loyalties in every bar would be a fitting climax.
