De la Fuente credits unwavering commitment to vision as Spain secures World Cup final berth

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Spain’s midfielder #16 Rodri and defender #22 Pau Cubarsi celebrate after their team won the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between France and Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

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Spain coach Luis de la Fuente saluted his players as the “best team in the world” on Tuesday after a stunning 2-0 World Cup semi-final upset of France.

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De la Fuente, who had repeatedly said Spain were the best side in the tournament, was left beaming with pride as La Roja outplayed France to reach Sunday’s World Cup final.

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It was another tactical masterpiece by the Spanish coach, who oversaw La Roja’s European Championship victory in 2024 and has now beaten France in three straight competitive matches.

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“We started almost four years ago with an idea and we’ve been faithful to that idea and it’s brought us here,” de la Fuente said.

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“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.”

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De la Fuente is now contemplating Spain’s first World Cup final appearance since 2010.

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“These players deserve everything — day after day they’ve showed their commitment, their solidarity, their generosity, their talent,” de la Fuente added of his team. “They make the difficult look easy.”

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