Abstract: In the methanol steam reforming （MSR） reaction, the Cu-Al spinel catalyst has the characteristics of low cost and high selectivity, making it an ideal catalyst for this reaction. However, there is a need to further enhance its catalytic performance. The Cu-Al spinel catalysts were synthesized via co-precipitation, sol-gel, and impregnation methods for their application in MSR reactions. The results showed that the Cu-Al spinel synthesized by co-precipitation showed excellent performance in the MSR reaction, which was due to its maximum specific surface area, which was conducive to the exposure of the active site. Based on this, the Cu-Al spinel prepared by co-precipitation method was modified with different contents of rare earth element La. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of the rare earth element La not only enhances the specific surface area of the catalyst but also alters the microstructure of Cu-Al spinel. The incorporation of La into the spinel structure modifies the cation distribution in Cu-Al spinel and results in a decrease in grain size. Therefore, the addition of an appropriate amount of rare earth element La can enhance the MSR reaction performance of Cu-Al spinel. However, excessive La will lead to the formation of LaAlO₃ on the catalyst surface, which will reduce the catalyst activity.