Luis de la Fuente, coach of the Spanish national team, confirmed that facing France in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup will be one of the most difficult matches of the tournament, stressing that his team enters the match with great confidence, while believing that there is a greater margin for improvement.
De la Fuente said during the press conference that preceded the match: “I always tell the players that we can become better. If we are not better than yesterday, that will not be enough to compete, because we have a distinguished group capable of developing.” Constantly.”
He added: “I am fortunate to have 26 high-level players, and in some positions there is more than one player who deserves to participate. Choosing the squad depends on the requirements of each match, so I feel confident regardless of the names that participate. Merino is a great player, and everyone who enters contributes.”
Regarding the French team, he said: “France is one of the best teams in the world, but the same applies to Argentina, England and Spain, and the remaining four teams are close in level, and each of them has strengths And weakness, and the important thing is to exploit the details within the match.”
He continued: “I feel proud of what we have achieved over the past years, but we have not yet reached our goal. Crowning the World Cup will be the greatest achievement, and we will fight to reach the final.”
He also defended Kylian Mbappe after the criticism he was subjected to, saying: “I am a big fan of great players, and Mbappe is one of the greatest football players in the world.”
Regarding his message to his players before the match, he explained: “I ask for it.” One of them is to enjoy this moment, because it may not be repeated often, while respecting the strength of the opponent and doing everything we have to qualify.”
He sent a special message to Lamine Yamal on the occasion of his birthday, saying: “My message to him is to calm down and enjoy. He is still young, and I believe that the best version of him has not yet appeared. I hope that his big day will be against France or in the final.”
De la Fuente stressed that his team is still capable of providing a better level, adding: “We have a lot of room for development. It will be a complicated match and may be considered an early final, so we must be decisive offensively and defensively.”
He pointed out that France has developed a lot compared to previous years, explaining: “Mbappe, Dembele and others have become more mature, but our players have also clearly developed.”
The Spanish coach recalled the two teams’ confrontation in the Nations League, which ended with Spain’s victory (5-4), and said: “We learned a lot from that match, and so did France. We will try to repeat the things we succeeded in, and avoid the mistakes we made We committed it, especially in the last minutes.”
Regarding the possibility of Fabian Ruiz and Pedri participating together, he said: “They both have different characteristics, and they can play together if the match needs to. The most important thing is to achieve balance on the field.”
He stressed that the technical staff studied the French team well, adding: “We know the danger of Mbappe, Dembele and Ulise, but we also have players who are able to make the difference. Our goal is to impose our style and reduce the danger of the opponent.”
At the end of his statements, De La reduced Fuente stressed the importance of talking about the identity of the candidate to win, and said: “When two teams of this size reach the semi-finals, there is no real candidate, and the decision will be on the field.”