Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has described his team as the best national side in the world after guiding La Roja to a 2-0 victory over France to secure a place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Spain produced a disciplined and dominant display on Tuesday, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro sealing victory over the French and ending their hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
Speaking after the match, De la Fuente said the achievement was the result of a long-term vision that began nearly four years ago when he took charge of the national team.
“We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it’s brought us here,” the Spain coach said.
The 64-year-old tactician, who led Spain to the UEFA Euro 2024 title, insisted his side had proven they are currently the standard-bearers in international football after defeating one of the world’s strongest teams.
“Today we faced one of the best national teams in the world, but in front of them they had the best team in the world. That is different,” De la Fuente said.
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The victory marked Spain’s third straight competitive win over France under De la Fuente and secured the country’s first World Cup final appearance since their historic triumph in South Africa in 2010.
The Spanish coach also praised the unity, commitment and quality of his players, saying their teamwork has been the foundation of their success throughout the tournament.
“These players deserve everything. Day after day they’ve shown their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity and their talent. They make the difficult look easy,” he said.
Spain will now prepare for Sunday’s World Cup final, where they will face either England or Argentina in a bid to win a second FIFA World Cup title.
