Luis de la Fuente believes his Spain have what it takes to eliminate tournament favourites France, saying he has “very high expectations” for the semi-final date with Didier Deschamps’ side in Dallas on Tuesday.
Speaking with the press after Spain’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium, De la Fuente called it a full-squad effort with goals coming from Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino, two members of his midfield rotation.
“We are both teams that would be considered a candidate for the final,” De la Fuente said through a translator. “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.”
“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.”
Spain will take confidence from their 2-1 win over France at the same stage of Euro 2024, the penultimate step in their triumphant quest for continental glory. France has been the team in form for a third consecutive World Cup, making Morocco look second best in every phase of Thursday’s quarter-final.
Yet, De la Fuente trusts the quality and depth available to him in his squad. Eyebrows were raised when he started Ruiz in midfield on Friday, with Pedri instead coming off the bench early in the second half. Ruiz rewarded his manager with his first-ever World Cup goal, while Merino came off the bench to follow up his late winner against Portugal in similar style.
“Everybody on the pitch has a task and they do it very well,” De la Fuente said. “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.”
His opposite number on Friday, Rudi Garcia, couldn’t help but admire the multitude of options available to Spain at this tournament.
“Their squad doesn’t just come down to a couple of players,” the Belgium coach said. “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.”
Whether or not Spain can slow France’s roll will come down to their execution. Rodri led Spain in touches and completed 98 of his 104 pass attempts, but Belgium had greater luck after half-time in dragging the former Ballon d’Or winner out of position, especially after Ruiz exited. Lamine Yamal found space beyond Maxim De Cuyper but wasn’t as incisive with his final ball or shooting. Mikel Oyarzabal struggled to get involved up top, leaving Spain’s sequences without an obvious endpoint.
Still, there are days for De la Fuente and his staff to sort this out. Also going in their favor are a couple bits of individual history made by Unai Simon, whose record-setting World Cup shutout streak which began in 2022 ended after 650 minutes, and by De la Fuente himself, now unbeaten in 13 games across the World Cup and Euros.
Extending that latter record against France will require all of Spain to be at their best.
“It’s a great matchup, two of the best teams in the world,” De la Fuente said. “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.”
