Luis de la Fuente is confident that his Spanish squad has the capability to outplay tournament favorites France, expressing his “We are both teams that would be considered a candidate for the final,” for their semi-final match against Didier Deschamps’ team in Dallas on Tuesday.
Following Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium in the quarter-finals, De la Fuente emphasized the collective effort that led to their success, highlighting goals from Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino, both key figures in his midfield rotation.
“France has exceptional potential, and so do we. We have very high expectations for the next game. We are aware of the great potential the opponent in front of us has, but are also aware that the only team that has beaten them in the last two semi-finals they’ve played has been us.” De la Fuente stated through a translator. “I think the game is very open [to win]. It will require fresh, energetic players. It will require us to be the best version, it will require us to improve, but since we are there, we are going to give everything.”
He added, “Everybody on the pitch has a task and they do it very well,”
Spain is buoyed by their earlier 2-1 victory over France at the same stage of Euro 2024, an essential step in their pursuit of continental success. France, on the other hand, has displayed formidable form throughout this World Cup, overpowering Morocco in their recent quarter-final match.
De la Fuente remains confident in the depth and quality of his squad. There were some surprises when he opted for Ruiz in midfield, with Pedri coming off the bench early in the second half. Ruiz responded well, scoring his first World Cup goal, while Merino replicated his late-game heroics against Portugal.
“Pedri is a class player, one of the best in the world if not the best, but Fabian is also one of the best players in the world if not the best. It is unfair not to value those players who unfortunately – like Mikel Merino, like [Martín] Zubimendi, like Gavi, other players who haven’t gotten to play – they are as good as the ones who are playing. I insist, we have to make decisions that are always very elaborate, very analysed, very tailored to the opponent.” De la Fuente noted. “Their squad doesn’t just come down to a couple of players,”
His counterpart, Rudi Garcia, acknowledged the wealth of talent Spain possesses in this tournament.
“It’s the team as a whole. It’s practically the same as their team at the Euros. That’s very important for a national team, to have continuity with players who play together for a long time and write history.” the Belgium coach remarked. “It’s a great matchup, two of the best teams in the world,”
The challenge for Spain will be to effectively counter France’s dynamic play. Rodri stood out with the most touches, successfully completing 98 of his 104 passes. However, Belgium found some success in the second half, disrupting the former Ballon d’Or winner’s positioning, particularly after Ruiz was substituted. Lamine Yamal created opportunities beyond Maxim De Cuyper but struggled to deliver decisive final balls. Meanwhile, Mikel Oyarzabal found it difficult to make a significant impact upfront, leaving Spain’s attacking sequences lacking a clear conclusion.
Fortunately for De la Fuente and his coaching staff, they have time to address these issues. Additionally, Unai Simon made headlines by ending his record-setting World Cup shutout streak at 650 minutes, while De la Fuente remains unbeaten in his last 13 matches across both the World Cup and Euros.
To maintain that unbeaten streak against France, Spain must perform at their highest level.
“We both have great teams with different characteristics. But with the utmost respect for our rival, we feel capable of beating any team. Not only because of the support we have now, but because of the confidence we have in this group of players, the potential we have, and our awareness of who we are. We are in a great position.” De la Fuente stated. “We both have great teams with different characteristics. But with the utmost respect for our rival, we feel capable of beating any team. Not only because of the support we have now, but because of the confidence we have in this group of players, the potential we have, and our awareness of who we are. We are in a great position.”
- World Cup 2026
- Spain
- Belgium
- World Cup
