A fuel element for a pressurized water reactor has fuel rods guided through a number of axially spaced spacers. The spacers form a square grid with a multitude of mesh openings arranged in rows and columns. Support tubes that do not contain fuel are passed through a number of the mesh holes and are joined with a material bond to the meshes inside the spacer. The support tubes are spread out in positions within the grid in such a manner that, with a predetermined number of support tubes and a distribution thereof within the grid, which is rotationally symmetric about 90° with regard to a rotation about the central axis of the spacer, said central axis being perpendicular to the grid plane, the number of rows and columns that do not contain any support tubes is minimal. In addition, it is ensured that optionally remaining inner rows and columns that do not contain any support tubes are not situated next to one another.