Serbia will face Spain in a high-profile friendly on March 27 at the Cerámica Stadium in Villarreal at 21:00, in what head coach Veljko Paunović has described as an opportunity the team must use in the best possible way. Serbia’s second March match is scheduled for March 31 against Saudi Arabia at the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola at 18:00.
The Spain game has been presented in the reporting as the central challenge of the March window, both because of the quality of the opponent and because it comes against the reigning European champion. One of the analyses around the fixture also noted that the match emerged in the context of changes to Spain’s original March plans, after uncertainty around the scheduled Finalissima created room for a friendly against Serbia instead. Reports added that Paunović and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had previously discussed the possibility of a future friendly, and that the idea later materialized for this camp.
Paunović’s message: compete seriously and use the occasion
Ahead of the match, Paunović’s public line has been that Serbia should treat the game not as a ceremonial friendly but as a serious competitive test. Coverage of his remarks presented him as stressing that there is no reason to hide from strong opponents if Serbia wants to grow and eventually reach the highest level in major tournaments. In that sense, Spain has been framed not only as a difficult rival but as a measuring stick for Serbia’s current level and ambitions.
The tone of the reporting suggests that Paunović sees the encounter as useful on several levels at once: for evaluating players, for building team identity, and for testing Serbia against one of the strongest national teams in Europe. His message has been interpreted as one of realism combined with ambition — respect for Spain, but no acceptance of an inferior role.
Squad list: the return of the Milinković-Savić brothers
The biggest headline from Paunović’s squad announcement was the return of Vanja Milinković-Savić and Sergej Milinković-Savić to the national team. Their inclusion was widely described as the most notable element of the list and as one of the main selection stories before the Spain match.
The official squad released by the Serbian Football Association includes the following goalkeepers: Vanja Milinković-Savić, Predrag Rajković and Đorđe Petrović. In defense, Paunović selected Kosta Nedeljković, Ognjen Mimović, Strahinja Eraković, Nikola Milenković, Strahinja Pavlović, Miloš Veljković and Aleksa Terzić. Midfield options listed were Aleksandar Stanković, Nemanja Gudelj, Nemanja Maksimović, Saša Lukić, Vanja Dragojević, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Lazar Samardžić, Petar Stanić, Filip Kostić, Veljko Birmančević, Mijat Gaćinović, Vasilije Kostov and Njegoš Petrović. In attack, Serbia called up Aleksandar Mitrović, Luka Jović, Dejan Joveljić and Petar Ratkov.
Injuries shape the call-ups
Paunović also confirmed that Dušan Vlahović, Andrija Živković and Luka Ilić are unavailable for the two March friendlies because of injuries. Their absence is one of the reasons the squad list has been viewed as slightly different from previous selections, opening room for additional names and a few choices described in the reporting as surprises.
Several Serbian media reports highlighted the presence of players such as Vanja Dragojević, Vasilije Kostov and other less-established names as signs that Paunović is willing to widen the pool and test alternatives. The overall interpretation in the coverage is that the Spain match will not only be about the result and prestige but also about selection dynamics and internal competition within the squad.
Public discussion over possible foreign-born or foreign-passport players
Another theme linked to Paunović ahead of the Spain match has been the debate about whether Serbia should eventually include players with other passports or more complex eligibility backgrounds. Reporting cited Paunović as saying that no foreign player will wear Serbia’s jersey at this moment, while leaving open the possibility that such a scenario could happen in the future. That position triggered broader public debate and media polling on whether such an approach would be acceptable for the national team.
Although this issue is not directly tied to the Spain match itself, it has become part of the wider conversation around Paunović’s early period as coach — specifically, how wide he wants Serbia’s player pool to be and what kind of long-term selection strategy he intends to build.
A match with sporting and symbolic weight
Taken together, the reports present the upcoming Spain match as more than a routine friendly. It is being treated as Serbia’s most important test of the March window, as a showcase for Paunović’s first major squad decisions against elite opposition, and as a chance to assess how the team responds against one of Europe’s strongest sides. The return of the Milinković-Savić brothers, the absence of several injured players, and the appearance of some new or less expected names have all added extra attention to the fixture.
With Spain first and Saudi Arabia to follow, Paunović has made clear that Serbia should approach the camp with seriousness and purpose. In that framework, the Villarreal match stands out as the main benchmark — a game Serbia is expected to use, in his words and in the tone of the coverage around him, in the best possible way.
