Luis de la Fuente is confident that his Spanish side can take down tournament favorites France, expressing his “We are both teams that would be considered a candidate for the final,” ahead of the 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 highlighted the collective effort of his squad, with goals from Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino, both integral to his midfield strategy.
“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 remarked 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 can draw confidence from their previous 2-1 victory over France at the same stage of Euro 2024, a key moment in their successful pursuit of continental triumph. France has been performing exceptionally well for a third consecutive World Cup, convincingly defeating Morocco in every aspect during Thursday’s quarter-final.
Despite some initial surprise at his decision to start Ruiz in midfield while bringing Pedri on as a substitute early in the second half, De la Fuente remains confident in the quality and depth of his squad. Ruiz repaid his coach’s trust by scoring his debut World Cup goal, while Merino similarly came off the bench to replicate his late winner 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 explained. “Their squad doesn’t just come down to a couple of players,”
Rudi Garcia, Belgium’s coach, expressed admiration for the array of options available to the Spanish side 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.” Garcia noted. “It’s a great matchup, two of the best teams in the world,”
The ability of Spain to contain France’s momentum will hinge on their execution. Rodri led the team in touches, successfully completing 98 of his 104 passes, but Belgium found some success after halftime in pulling the former Ballon d’Or winner out of position, particularly following Ruiz’s departure. Lamine Yamal created opportunities beyond Maxim De Cuyper but faltered in his final ball and shooting. Mikel Oyarzabal struggled to find his rhythm in attack, leaving Spain’s plays without a clear conclusion.
Nonetheless, De la Fuente and his staff have several days to address these issues. Additionally, individual milestones contribute to their morale, such as Unai Simon’s record-setting World Cup shutout streak, which ended after an impressive 650 minutes, and De la Fuente’s own unbeaten run in 13 matches across the World Cup and Euros.
To maintain that streak against France, Spain will need to perform at their peak.
“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.”
As Spain prepares for this crucial encounter, the team is focused on delivering their best performance yet.
- World Cup 2026
- Spain
- Belgium
- World Cup
